Siblings Books

Sibling Revelry!/Parent "Releaf" is a two-sided "upside/down" book that offers two volumes under a single cover. Author Grace Witwer Householder provides the reader with an impressive and memorable compendium of humor and quotable quotes showcasing the antics of children and celebrating the fun of being a mother or a dad. Sibling Revelry!/Parent "Releaf" is enhanced with illustrations by Debbie Rittenhouse and is highly recommended, immensely pleasant, and occasionally thoughtful reading.

This two-sided "upside down" book offers two volumes under one cover. Author Grace Witwer Housholder provides the reader with an impressive and memorable compendium of humor and quotable quotes showcasing the antics of children and celebrating the fun of being a mother or a father. Enhanced with illustrations by Debbie Rittenhouse, it is highly recommended, immensely pleasant and occasionally thoughtful reading.

This is a delightful and funny book, which brought me back to the years when my sons still living at home. This is every Mothers book. If it didn't happen in your home, you know a family that it did happen to. I can hear one of my boys voices in every story. This book reminds me of my cherished copy of the Art Linkletter's book, "Kids Say the Darndest Things". "Fun in the Family Tree" will rest next to it!!!! (after sharing it with friends and family, of course!) Not only is the content beautifully written, the illustrations delighted me. kudos to both writer and illustrator!!!!!

What a fun book is Quotable Kids: Fun In the Family Tree! And, it's more than that. If you suffer from "senior memory", it will be refreshed by these moments in time. As a mother of four and grandmother of eight, I have forgotten many of the funny things I experienced with my children; and those my friends and family members experienced. This has brought to mind some of the great ones. What a great reading experience for mothers of any age!

Cudos to the author and illustrator for putting it together so well! Easy and fun reading is such a luxury these days. I savored every moment. Art Linkletter couldn't have done it better, and he was great.

This is a wonderful story. It is basically a collection of tales told by the dragon to it's young visitors. There are lessons in each story. I found that my children were very engaged by the story and took to the lessons with relish. Who wouldn't love to be taught by a dragon? Rebbeca Rupp is a gem. I hope she writes more like this.

My 9yr old girl, 10yr old boy and I were thrilled when we found out that Rebecca Rupp had written a sequel to Dragon of Lonely Island. The original had been one of their favorites for a couple of years. We are currently reading it together and it is just as wonderful as the first. It is still imaginative, it is still appropriate for children, and it has even better lessons than the first one did. I truly enjoy reading this book with my children and they truly love hearing the dragon's stories.

This book is wonderful, we have read the first book, the dragon of lonely island and loved it so much we got this one. You will not be disappointed by either book. The stories are sweet, funny and adventurous. Can't stop once you start.

This book is a sequel to The Dragon of Lonely Island. The book is about a three-headed dragon that tells stories. In this book, a billionaire tries to capture the dragon and take him away. It is an exciting book and a little funny. It is almost as good as the first book, but I like the first one a little better.

I would recommend these books to everyone. Boys and girls would both like this book because the characters are both boys and girls. These books are so good that I read them both in two days.

I am an eleven year old boy and I think that"The Rhyming Season" by Edward Averett is a great book! Brenda Jacobsen (the main character) lives in a small town named Hemlock with her tall, basketball loving family. I liked the way the author made all of the characters in this small town become so real and believable. Even though I am a boy and not yet in high school, I could relate to the challenges that Brenda was going through in the story and was totally absorbed by the basketball games and action packed plot. I like this book because of the way the author combines two very different things together, basketball and poetry.

In a dying lumber town in the far reaches of Washington State, Averett's heroine is the star of the girls' high-school basketball team. But she lives and plays under the shadow of her brother, the town basketball hero, who died. With a bad home life and a coach who's left the team, this is the story of a season in both hell and heaven.
In a disastrous blow, the school assigns the team a coach who's not only the English teacher but who requires the team to learn and recite poetry -- aloud -- at practice and even during games. How humiliating!
But -- let me leave it there; author Averett pulls magic out of his hat and gives us a thrilling story that's far from the conventional. A wonderful achievement.

Ed Averett's "Rhyming Season" is a moving depiction of grief, loss, and growth for the individuals and the Northwest logging communities. His mixture of poetry and sports is a
delicious element in a story that resonates on many levels.
A great read!
Mary Ann Murphy

This is a great read. The writing is superb, the story is moving, engaging, and original. I loved the blending of sports and poetry. This is one of the best YA novels I've read in a while. Bravo, Edward! I look forward to reading more books by you.

The children's storybook "Riley and Rose in the Picture," written and illustrated by Susanna Gretz, provides an entertaining lesson in the value of respecting the ideas of others, even if they are different from our own.

Riley the dog and Rose the cat see things very differently. Riley and Rose are drawing pictures together, but they don't agree on exactly what it is they're drawing. Where Riley see dots, Rose sees raindrops. Where Rose sees tents, Riley sees triangles. Their disagreement gets so bad, they end up fighting until they destroy the very thing they're fighting over, their picture. Finally, they realize they shouldn't be fighting. They both make simple concessions that allow them to work together as friends, ending up happy and satisfied.

The pictures deftly illustrate the story, visually reinforcing the concept that two differing opinions can both be right. The reader gets to see for himself that dots can also be raindrops and that tents can also be triangles.

"Riley and Rose in the Picture" disguises a character-building lesson as a fun story. It is a very good choice for those who value making the most of the time they spend reading with their children.

My daughter loves this book so much. We read it at least every other day and she is mimicking Riley and Rose's actions by creating her own art work.

Teaches kids that people have different opinions and can still get along. What a fun book to read to kids. Vivid pictures and stimulates imagination.

I'm one of those parents who likes to know what their kid is reading so i read most of the books given my kids as gifts. this particular book held the interest of the kids and seemed to be a real page turner so i checked it out. and i enjoyed it as well.

For what it aspires to be the book is well done and interesting. Recommended.

This is the story of 2 sock monkey. They are invited to a party! Join them as they get ready for it. The pictures are just too cute!

Even a craft idea is included!

I stumbled upon this in my local bookstore BookPeople, and I just loved it. Very cute!

ROCKO AND SPANKY GO TO A PARTY is a nice book cleverly illustrated by Jenna LaReau and written by Kara LaReau. The two animals are drawn with verve and their adventures transpire in a blaze of green and pink 50's inspired decor, though they have a hip-hop twist to their vocabulary speak which appeals to the young. I tried this book out with four kids of different races and all enjoyed watching the sock monkeys cavort to their own party; even the one little girl who spoke no English at all, laughed out loud at the two monkeys, Rocko and Spanky, hugging each other as tightly as they could, perhaps reminding the little girl of her childhood in Cambodia.

Kara LaReau should receive the Newbery Award for her work on this book. Farfetched? Not when you consider she was instrumental in securing a Newbery award for BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE. Her little creations have all the appeal of Curious George PLUS the animals of BABAR, lacking only the unique charm of the first and the majesty of the second. The Newbery, in case we forget, went to Hugh Lofting the Dr Doolittle author, so it is not out of the range of possibility to suggest that Rocko and Spanky deserve it too. And if the author gets an award, I vote also that we give one to sister Jenna, whose illustrations prove one more time the truth of the old adage, that you can throw everything but the kitchen sink into your drawings, but if there isn't heart there, than you have nothing. And she has heart to burn!

Check out the drawings of Rocko on skates or behind the wheel of his miniature Vespa. He's an excitable boy! Stand clear, here comes Rocko. In the meantime, his quieter twin Spanky looks at you with those big soft eyes and you melt a little, even a hard hearted old grownup like myself. Looking forward to the next adventures of these two. If Curious George could have fifteen books, why not thirty for Rocko and Spanky?

Rocko and Spanky are a couple of sock monkeys-twins, actually. They've been invited to a birthday party so they hop on their yellow motorcycle and zoom on down to the Gift-o-Rama to pick up the perfect gift. Rocko wants to buy something fast, flashy, and fun. Spanky prefers something a bit more glamorous. They finally settle on the perfect compromise: socks. (Which look suspiciously like themselves.) "Socks are so practical," says Spanky. "And SO us," says Rocko.

After deciding what to wear, they arrive to find the party is actually for them. They'd forgotten their own birthdays! Thanks to their friends, they are able to celebrate their special day in style.

The text includes a double-page spread titled "Rocko and Spanky's Wrapper's Delight." Here the pair demonstrate how to wrap presents the Rocko and Spanky way.

This buoyant, fast-paced tale was an instant hit with the first graders to whom we read it. The cartoon illustrations are done in a 50s retro style, complete with period details such as poodle prints, coconut monkeys, and the ever-present pink and green.

A deliciously fun retro-read. Who knew a couple of sock monkeys could be so hip? Highly recommended.

Artist's Discalimer: "No socks, monkeys, or sock monkeys were harmed during the making of this book. Honest."

Reviewed by the Education Oasis Staff.

Im a teacher who floats to all age groups. I read this book to my 3-5 preschool room and fell in love. This book is great from babies on up. Side note: Also great to annoy people with (OLIE OLIE OLIE OH is such a annoying phrase). 5 stars in my book.

I read this one almost every night before bed. The kids usually ask for a couple encores. Both my twins liked it from the very first time.

My son loves Rolie Polie Olie (he is 15 months). It is a very wholesome show and the book is great. He loves spot the dog and the colors are very vibrant. We love this book and anything that has to do with Rolie.

My 23 month old daughter loves Rolie Polie Olie. It is by far her favorite TV character. This is her second Rolie Polie Olie book and she loves it! The book "Rolie Polie Olie" that we purchased for her last fall was her and is still her favorite book. Now she has a second favorite book in "Be My Pal!" We have another baby on the way and this book talks about how Olie and his little sister Zowie figure out how to be siblings and best pals. I highly recomend this book. I just wish that Disney would release more Rolie Polie Olie Merchandise. The selection is limited at this point.

I remember reading this book when I was in second and third grade. I checked it out from our school library a million times and would read it over and over again. One thing that I loved about it so much was that I thought that it was a "chapter book" and I felt so grown up for reading it. Great stories are in it; I still remember them 9 years later. The doll, the haircut, the baseball game, and when Elisa was hiding underneath the table during her parent's dinner party. It's a book that is written so that even a second grader can read it on their own, with maybe a little bit of help. Also easy to understand, yet interesting and challenging at the same time. I definitely would recommend this book. (Infact, I now want to buy it because I loved it so much as a child.)

I remember reading this book when I was in second and third grade. I checked it out from our school library a million times and would read it over and over again. One thing that I loved about it so much was that I thought that it was a "chapter book" and I felt so grown up for reading it. Great stories are in it; I still remember them 9 years later. The doll, the haircut, the baseball game, and when Elisa was hiding underneath the table during her parent's dinner party. It's a book that is written so that even a second grader can read it on their own, with maybe a little bit of help. Also easy to understand, yet interesting and challenging at the same time. I definitely would recommend this book. (Infact, I now want to buy it because I loved it so much as a child.)

I remember reading this book when I was in second and third grade. I checked it out from our school library a million times and would read it over and over again. One thing that I loved about it so much was that I thought that it was a "chapter book" and I felt so grown up for reading it. Great stories are in it; I still remember them 9 years later. The doll, the haircut, the baseball game, and when Elisa was hiding underneath the table during her parent's dinner party. It's a book that is written so that even a second grader can read it on their own, with maybe a little bit of help. Also easy to understand, yet interesting and challenging at the same time. I definitely would recommend this book. (Infact, I now want to buy it because I loved it so much as a child.)

Another in a 'series' of Russell Books. My 5 year old begged me to read more. It is a family story centered around a seven year old boy with a three year old sister. This book brings out interesting subjects such as sleep-overs, cutting hair and attending a first baseball game. A young child will endjoy having it read to them - good discussion for parents. This is a humorous, family book that will be of interest to students from K through the 4th grade, as well as parents.

Saving The Griffin is a wonderful tale of how three American siblings deal with finding a baby griffin while they are living in Italy. Kristin Nitz uses humor and mystery to tell an original story. The two youngest children, Kate and Michael are especially well-drawn. Their bouts of jealousy paired with devotion will bring a smile to anyone with a sibling. This adventure will have kids thinking that maybe, if they look hard enough, they too can find an enchanted creature right in their own back yard.

Kate, Michael, their older brother, Stephen, and their parents are living in Italy for a few months. Lately, Stephen seems to think he's too old for them, so Kate and Michael have been spending a lot of time together.

Kate's favorite thing to do is tell stories. Sometimes she forgets that Michael is young and gullible, and he believes her stories. Sometimes she does it a little bit on purpose.

Playing ball in the garden one day, Kate and Michael find what seems to be a baby griffin. Neither of them are sure if he's real or if they're both imagining things. But day after day, Grifonino, the name they give him meaning "little griffin" in Italian, returns. Kate and Michael are sure he's real, but they're not sure where he came from or what to do with him.

Kate thinks Stephen might be able to help, or at least he would have back when he liked them. Michael convinces her to keep it a secret. But when the story Kate is writing starts writing back, they know their secret is out. And they better figure out something fast because Prince Eduardo seems pretty unhappy!

Italian villas, a cuddly baby griffin, and a story that literally comes to life. I absolutely love it! Who hasn't let their imagination run wild from time to time? But who ever thinks that it might be wild enough to come true? And I never thought about having a pet griffin before, but I'm starting to wonder where I might be able to find one.

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

Written by griffon lover and mother of three Kristin Wolden Nitz, Saving the Griffin is a charming young adult novel about three siblings who discover a lost baby griffin in a modern-day Italian garden. Their efforts to keep young "Grifonino" safe, find out where he came from, and return him safely take them on a whirlwind of adventure and even danger, as they are at cross purposes with greedy paparazzi, eager scientists, and the lurking menace of Prince Eduardo. A delightfully fantastic story, highly recommended for young griffin lovers everywhere.

This "typical" American family temporarily in Italy is well drawn - but the dilemma the kids face after finding a mythical baby griffin is far from "typical." I was happy to read a book that involved some fantasy creature besides dragons for a change and the characterization of the griffin is terrific. The human characters are very likeable too yet have enough conflict between them dealing with how to get the griffin back to it's rightful place and keeping multiple secrets to keep you turning the pages. The details from the Italian landscape and architecture are really interesting. I think this is a great-length book as a challenge for some elementary age readers and quick romp for older kids. Check it out!

This is a truly marvelous book. Taps into the understanding of small children ..... and every parent, too. The drawings are superb....from the naive to the very sophisticated. I will buy it for all my friends.... bound to become a favorite in every home library!

What a wonderful book for children of all ages to look at over and over again. They will have such fun reading and learning the adventures of the kitty and the princess.

This is a sweet little book unlike any I've really seen before. The illustrations are an adorable mix of two cute little sisters coupled with very childish drawings that my 2-year old daughter finds very amusing. The story is simple but something about the way it's all put together is just very charming. We have literally hundreds of books in our house and this is my daughter's current favorite. Fun to read for adults as well.

I like "Scribble". No, I don't think you understand. I reeeeeeally like "Scribble". I like its art and its style and its "message" (or whatever the equivalent term might be) and pretty much everything about it. The only problem with "Scribble" is that it's not a flashy book. It's sweet and subtle and as a result it's probably not going to draw too much attention to itself. With that in mind, I charge each and every one of you to seek it out since no one's gonna go out and do it for you. The picture book that shatters the reality between what you create and what you are is difficult to pull off. All the more so when it's as fun, readable, and kid-friendly as "Scribble".

Oh, Emma. Thinking she knows everything. Emma's one of those girls who goes around drawing princesses all the time. Lucie, on the other hand, prefers to draw kitties. When Emma, in her oh-so-superior way, informs Lucie that her cat looks more like a scribble than a feline, the younger sister retaliates by scribbling all over Emma's newest princess picture. However, Scribble (the cat Lucie has drawn) grows curious about the sleeping princess, now trapped behind what appears to be a Giant Thicket. With a reluctant Lucie tagging behind, he attempts to free the beauty and save the day. Yet it's only when the little girl agrees to help and undo the damage she's done to the princess's picture that everyone is allowed to live happily ever after.

Visually, the book really does pop. It starts with a kind of cartoony style. Individual panels and speech bubble break up the action with characters occasionally leaping off the page towards the reader. Eventually, as Emma leaves and Lucie's imagination has a chance to expand, the piece of paper containing Scribble grows to immense proportions, completely obliterating the entire paneled scheme. Emma's real cat, a small white one who takes to Scribble as recognizable kin, is always easy to spot against the yellow and pink background. Ditto Emma's white shirt beneath her overalls. The color scheme of the book bounces back and forth between pink and yellow. Emma wears all pink and Lucie all yellow. Yet when Lucie crosses over from her yellow paper to Emma's pink world, suddenly her overalls take on an unfamiliar rosy hue. On a related note, it's interesting to watch the dynamic between the two sisters. They're always shown across the table from one another, one on her pink side and one on her yellow. It's fun to see how Lucie's literal leap into her sister's world helps change her own perspective.

Reading and rereading the book brings something new to the eye every time. Did you catch the moment near the end where Emma's "sleeping" princess opens here eyes while Emma informs Lucie that kitties and princesses do not wed? Or that once Lucie has fully entered into Emma's picture, the princess appears to be trapped within a castle made up of different shades of pink on pink? Even Scribble's kiss on the princess's cheek is a tiny yellow heart, and the result causes his own cheeks to take on a rose colored hue of their own. Everything has its place in this book, and the repeating colors really tie it all together.

And just apart from all of that, I really appreciate any book where a little girl character can wear yellow cat-bedecked overalls and short hair. Some books would have you believe that all little girls sport dresses and have long lovely locks 24/7. And how awesome is Scribble anyway? It is desperately hard for adults to draw like children. An adult who tries will usually mess up by getting proportions correct or will have lines too suspiciously smooth. Not Freedman. Scribble, as you can see from the cover, is absolutely perfect. Even when he starts moving about, his lines are absolutely remarkable. The oversized head coupled with the small body and wobbly legs. The princess isn't too shabby either, but it's really Scribble who steals the show time and time again. Best of all, I bet it wouldn't be too difficult for child readers to draw "Scribbles" of their own if they were so inspired to do so.

It seems unfair to forget Freedman's words in the midst of her clever art. Consider her use of dialogue and narrative. When Scribble and Lucie go on their quest, the book's narration suddenly changes. Where before it was all speech bubbles and panels, now there's a narrator giving voice to the mute Scribble's thoughts and desires. Basically, the book becomes a real fairy tale for a little while, using terms like, "drowsy eyes and rosy cheeks." Even when Lucie follows her kitty to the other side, the book says that she goes through, "through acres of one color into another." Acres. That's lovely.

I found myself thinking about a couple things from Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics when I read this book. McCloud states that people who read comics identify more readily with cartoonish characters than the ones who look more realistic. In this book, Lucie and her sister are relatively realistic with the princess and Scribble appearing as simplified cartoons. So it wouldn't be too surprising if a kid reading this book ended up identifying with Scribble more than the girls, if we are to take McCloud's theory to heart. McCloud also discusses the importance of "line" in a comic. At the end of "Scribble", Lucie has successfully gathered up the line of the scribble she placed on her sister's picture. The last we see of it, her cat is playing with it as it dribbles off-screen. In many ways, this is a book about the very basics of cartooning, but in a way that's fun for very young children.

The obvious equivalent to this book right off the top of my head would have to be something like The Three Pigs by David Wiesner. Other similarities include books like Bad Day at Riverbend by Chris Van Allsburg. I wouldn't say that it was common for a character in a book to be aware of their status on a page, but at the very least it's not viewed as too complex for children to understand. The real lure of "Scribble" is that even as the realistic main character starts interacting with her drawn cat scribble, we totally believe in her journey. It's easy to interpret this story as the way in which Lucie deals with her guilt over scribbling over her sister's picture and concocts this complex narrative of rescue and marriage as a kind of therapeutic release. Either that or it just a fun book for fun kids. No reason why it can't be both, to my mind. It's a remarkable package hiding within the most deceptively simple premise I've run across this year. It's a book that's smart enough for adults and kid-centric enough for its intended audience. A sleeper hit that I seriously hope you will not miss.

I just got done reading this book and it was great. I thought he did a good job writing the book, everything was in detail it felt like my own family and I was in it. I hope he keeps on writing books. He is an excellent writer.

A believeable fiction that captures your curiosity and bonds you emotionally to the characters. You won't want to put it down!

This is a great read for anyone with a family who has kept secrets, and who's hasn't. The author is very good at building suspense and creating characters who are as real as your own family. While reading this book, I felt as though the characters could have been friends, they were so real! Hope this author continues to write more books - this one was very good!

I just finished reading Secrets and I just loved it! It made me cry a lot but it also made me laugh and smile a lot too. The characters are so clear and real. It is an excellent book. I hope McCracken publishes many more.