Tag Archives: Contemporary

Only Bread for Eze

AGES 0 - 4, AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

EZE BREAD-curves

 

Title: Only Bread for Eze

Author: Ifeoma Okoye

Publisher: Farafina Tuuti

Number of pages: 16

Type of Book: Fiction; African

Age: 2 – 6

Available here: https://www.mobiashara.com/Farafina/only-bread-eze; http://www.amazon.com/Only-Bread-Eze-Ifeoma-Okoye/dp/9784801213

Price: N300; $3.58

MY SUMMARY

“There was once a little boy, his name was Eze. He liked to eat only bread.”

In the Eze series, Eze, the protagonist is a little boy who wants what he wants when he wants it. At first, he didn’t want to go to school, read ‘No School for Eze’ to find out the sidesplitting way his mum took care of that problem and without the normal shouting and flogging that was the norm for the mums of my mum’s generation or the ‘ignoring’ and ‘naughty corner’ that is the norm for the mums of my generation. In this book, Eze’s father is the genius. Eze decides that he doesn’t like garri or anything else for that matter, he’d rather eat bread. Angry, Eze’s dad grants Eze’s wish. Read the book to find out how Eze’s dad cures him of his love for ‘only bread’.

This book brings reminds me of the saying, ‘Be careful what you wish for ‘cos you just might get it’

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: Humour! I had a good laugh. Darling Eze’s refusal to eat garri reminded me of my own childhood. I couldn’t understand the mums’ fixation with ‘daily lunchtime garri’ 🙂

The book teaches young children the importance of discipline without being didactic. It is very easy to read. Another highlight was the reference to typical Nigerian meals: rice and stew, beans and plantain, yam, gar and okro soup, etc. I recommend this book for beginning readers.

DOWN: Warning: Eze’s dad’s idea may not work at home (at least not in the same way), simply because, most kids, unlike Eze may not give up quickly. My son, for example, would have stuck it out for a full day at least. I wont explain in detail. Buy the book for your beginning reader or read it to your toddler *wink wink*

RATING

5 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. Eze’s favourite food in the world. Bread!

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  • Team the reading experience with a review of your child’s food choices.
  • Watch a video of the book reading here:

CHALLENGE: Only Bread for Eze

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

What do you like eating?

  1. Draw and name three things you like eating (5-6 year olds) OR
  1. Draw two things you like eating (4 year olds) OR
  2. Draw or name one thing you like eating. (2-3 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 2 – 6 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Wednesday, March 2nd 2015.

Next Book of the Week:

THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES by Hans Christian Andersen

 

 

Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , ,

518a+T47TrL._SX362_BO1,204,203,200_

 

Title: Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse

Author: Chris Riddell

Publisher: Macmillan

Number of pages: 219

Type of Book: Contemporary, Fiction

Age: 8+

Available here:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goth-Ghost-Mouse-Chris-Riddell/dp/0230759807; audio download: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goth-Girl-Ghost-Mouse/dp/B00OT44HX4/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Price: 8.24 GBP; 4.63 GBP

MY SUMMARY

Ada Goth is the protagonist in the Goth Girl series. Living in Ghastly-Gorm Hall, an enormous house with enormous grounds, (six gardens, a racecourse, two stables, two ice houses, a deer park, etc.) Ada is lonely until she meets the ghost of Ishmael, the mouse, the Cabbage siblings, Emily and William and the rest of the Attic Club members. Together, they trail Maltravers, the scary and sneaky indoor gamekeeper to uncover his sinister plot set to take place during the Ghastly-Gorm House Party. The much awaited Ghastly-Gorm Hall House Party features the Annual Metaphorical Bicycle Race and the Indoor hunt and is usually attended by Lord Goth’s friends and the villagers from the nearby hamlet of Gormless. Read the book to find out all the interesting creatures Maltravers tricked into coming to Ghaslty-Gorm Hall, the rest of his sinister plot and how Ada and her friends foiled his plans, if they did! 🙂

NB: This book won the 2013 COSTA Book Awards and was shortlisted for the 2015 CIUP KATE GREENWAY Medal

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: I loved the play with words: Ishmael, the sea-faring mouse (think Ishmael in Moby Dick); the clock called little ben (London Big Ben); Charles Cabbage, the inventor (Charles Babbage); Rupert Von Hellsung, the hunter of strange creatures (Van Helsing) with guns called Hansel and Gretel (the witch hunters); the Monster of Mecklenburg (who looked oddly like Frankenstein and had the same birth story) and his talkative bird which kept repeating ‘Icebergs icebergs everywhere, nor any drop to drink’ like Long John Silver’s bird, etc. I found myself trying to figure out the hidden meaning behind each word. This made the book like a puzzle of some sort and I LOVE puzzles!

The quirky characters made this book a fun read especially, Ishmael the mouse, William Cabbage, Lucy the umbrella-fencing vampire governess and even the sneaky Maltravers! Expect some hearty laughs from these characters.

The illustrations were a major highlight too!

The icing on the cake was the teeny weeny book attached to the book titled “The Memoirs of a Mouse” featuring the memoirs of Ishmael written in rhyme. (pictured below)

DOWN: It draaaaaaggggged, read, slow-paced. It’s a bit dark (just a wee bit) Not for the mom/child who doesn’t like weird creatures, vampires, etc.

RATING

4 Stars

 TRIVIA

  1. Ada’s first friend at Ghastly-Gorm Hall. The ghost of Ishmael, the mouse.
  2. The Attic Club? The secret club formed by all the young servants and children of the workers at Ghastly-Gorm Hall. They met daily at 10pm and helped Ada foil Maltravers’ plans.
  3. Ada’s second set of friends? The Cabbage siblings: Emily, the painter who walked with a paint box and stool strapped to her back and William, with the chameleon syndrome, who could literally blend into his surroundings.
  4. Ada didn’t trust him. Maltravers, the indoor gamekeeper.
  5. The creatures Maltravers lined up for the indoor hunt instead of Pheasants. The singing bird woman, Sesta the siren and her back up singers, Orphia, Eurydice and Persephone (the harpies); Hamish the Shetland Centaur and Mr. Omalos the Faun; the great apes: the Wildman of Putney and the Wife of Barnes.
  6. How old was Lucy Ada’s new governess and what was her special talent? 300 years old!! She was excellent at fencing, with her umbrella! 

Visit Ada and her friends here: www.gothgirlbook.com

CHALLENGE: Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Write a short 600-word essay on the topic: Hunting

OR

  1. Draw a picture of Siesta the Siren using the details below:

“With the head of a woman and the body of a large bird … Her eyes were the colour of a wine-dark sea, while her hair was cormorant black, the dark curls swept back and held in place by a headdress of shimmering bronze. Her body was covered in feathers the colour of dark seaweed, while her tail and wings were a bright gold and matched the glittering talons on her feet.”

OR

  1. Write a 600-word short story with any of the following themes: Friendship OR Honesty

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Sunday, February 28th 2016. 

Next Book of the Week:

HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN COUNTRY by Valerie Wyatt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , ,

 

Title: Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

Author: Barbara Park

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Number of pages: 69

Type of Book: Fiction; Contemporary, Series

Age: 5 – 8

Available here: http://www.amazon.com/Junie-Jones-Stupid-Smelly-Bus/dp/0679826424; or listen to the audio file here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O76tvcTx0k

Price: $2.97

MY SUMMARY

She licked her shoes to make them shiny. She looked at one of her new classmates, a boy, and her first thought was ‘I think I can beat him up’. She hid in the supply closet after school to avoid getting into the school bus! She is Junie B. Jones.

Junie B. is a precocious almost six-year-old who gets into the most ridiculous and hilarious scrapes. In this book, the first book of the series, it’s Junie B.’s first day of school and a classmate unwittingly tells her something so ‘scary’ that Junie B. decides not to go home after school. She hides out in a closet in her class, then pops out later to explore her new school. She ‘plays’ teacher in her classroom, sharpens all the pencils plus a crayon on the librarian’s desk in the library, hops on and falls off a pair of crutches in the nurse’s office, and finally has an ’emergency'(she has to go the bathroom) and calls 911 to rescue her!

This is the perfect fun and funny book for beginning readers. One of my favorite lines comes right after Junie B. does something silly and her mum rolls her eyes:

‘Mother rolled her eyes and looked at the ceiling. I looked up there, too. But I didn’t see anything’

Told in the first person, it’s exciting, funny and fast-paced.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This book sets the stage for subsequent books in the series. It’s quite easy to read, very very funny and the illustrations are super! I am desperately in love with the series. It is one of the reasons I decided to start writing again. I recommend this book for boys and girls (girls particularly) between the ages of 5 and 8, especially reluctant readers and kids who love to laugh.

DOWN: Junie B. uses some unsavoury words like stupid, dumb, hate, etc. Young readers must be made to understand that these words are bad.

Junie B. also mixes up her tenses, something that’s pretty common with kids but not with books. Again, this could be another ‘teaching’ opportunity for the parent/guardian of the young reader.

RATING

5 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. Junie B.’s favourite things in the world. Books!

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

CHALLENGE: Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  • Write a short story about your first day in primary school (7-8 year olds)

OR

  • Draw (and name) two big items in your bedroom and two small items in your living room (5-6 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 5 – 8 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Wednesday, February 24th 2015.

Next Book of the Week:

ONLY BREAD FOR EZE by Ifeoma Okoye

 

 

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Title: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Author: Judy Blume

Publisher: Puffin

Number of pages: 144

Type of Book: Fiction, Contemporary

Age: 8+

Available here: http://www.iqrabooks.com.ng/search_results.php?key=tales+of+a+fourth+grade+nothing&term=Anything&Submit=Search# and http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Fourth-Grade-Nothing-Blume/dp/0142408816 and for free download here: https://cambridgecollegelibrary.wikispaces.com/file/view/Judy+Blume-Tales+of+a+Fourth+Grade+Nothing.pdf or borrow it from ZODMLibrary, Ikoyi here: http://zodml.org/eachbook.php?id=37148 (membership of Library required)

Price: N5570; $6.29; free download or borrow for free at the Zaccheus Dibiaezue Library (ZODML) Ikoyi

MY SUMMARY

9-year-old Peter Hatcher has a HUGE problem: his 3-year-old stubborn and spoilt little brother, Fudge! Fudge is the worst possible little brother to be trapped in a family with and in every chapter of this book, he finds a way to terrorize Peter, from destroying his room and his homework, to making Peter do all sorts of things to entertain/calm him down to swallowing his pet turtle. To make matters worse, everyone, especially Mrs. Hatcher gives too much attention to Fudge and this annoys Peter to no end. Peter’s convinced his mother loves Fudge more than him and he’s not her real son. But will Fudge always get his way and will Peter ever feel like his parents love him too and he’s more than ‘Nothing’? Guaranteed to make you and your child laugh-out-loud.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: The first in the Fudge series, this book shows sibling rivalry at its best in an honest but totally humourous way. Fudge’s antics are definitely the major highlight of the book. Other books in the Fudge series are Otherwise known as Sheila the Great, Superfudge, Fudge-a-mania and Double Fudge.

DOWN: None

RATING

4.5 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. What did Peter think they should trade Fudge in for? A dog.
  2. When is the only time that Peter likes Fudge? When he’s asleep!
  3. One of Fudge’s favourite pastimes? Banging pots and pans together.
  4. ‘Fudge, you will eat that cereal or you will wear it!” Who said this and what eventually happened to the cereal? Peter’s dad; He dumped the bowl of cereal on Fudge’s head.
  5. This happens every time Fudge misbehaves (like when he destroyed Peter’s room and made their father lose an important account); Peter feels like this all the time? Nothing!
  6. Some fun facts about Fudge’s eating habits: He swallowed Dribble, Peter’s turtle, ate his mother’s flowers, and once, Mrs. Hatcher made Peter stand on his head to get Fudge to eat.

Read the book here: https://cambridgecollegelibrary.wikispaces.com/file/view/Judy+Blume-Tales+of+a+Fourth+Grade+Nothing.pdf

Visit Peter and Fudge here: http://www.judyblume.com/books/fudge/tales.php

Test your knowledge of the book after reading it here and get a CERTIFICATE!: http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=Tales–Fourth-Grade-Nothing

Some more on Peter and Fudge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd51NjpFnyo 

CHALLENGE: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing 

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. What is sibling rivalry? Write a short 400-word essay

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Sunday, December 20th 2015.

Next Book of the Week:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens

 

 

Mayowa and the Masquerades

AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

mayowa_small

Title: Mayowa and the Masquerades

Author: Lola Shoneyin

Publisher: Cassava Republic Press

Number of pages: 32

Type of Book: Fiction; African

Age: 4 – 8

Available here: http://www.cassavarepublic.biz/collections/childrens-books/products/mayowa-and-the-masquerades

Price: N750

MY SUMMARY

This book was a joint winner of the 2011 Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Atiku Abubakar Prize for Children’s Literature so I had great expectations when I picked it up. I really liked it. It tells the story of Mayowa, a typical city boy looking forward to a leisurely day of playing computer games. His plans are shattered when his parents announce that they will visit his grandmother in the village. This is the very last thing Mayowa wants to do but he ends up in the village all the same. However here he meets the fun-loving cheerful Denuyi and together they explore Ilisan in ways that make Mayowa appreciate the beauty of rural life. Read the book to find out the things Mayowa discovered in Ilisan besides the colourful masquerades!

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: Again, this week’s selection introduces in an entertaining manner some information about an indigenous culture through the eyes of a little boy. Supported by the vibrant illustrations of Francis Blake, Lola shows her readers a slice of Ilisan and Yoruba culture using traditional forms of greeting, masquerades, the bata talking drums as well as plants/fruits and animals/insects. It’s a fun read and every bit as educative as it is entertaining.

DOWN: None

RATING

4 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. Ask your child to name one fruit mentioned in the book and two fruits that grow in your village.                      a. Yeye fruit
  1. Ask your child to list four features of any Nigerian Cultural Festival.

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Team the reading experience with a video clip of a Nigerian cultural festival or Take your child to any cultural festival near you.

READ AN EXCERPT HERE: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0103/7312/files/Excerpt_for_website_Pages_from_Mayowa.pdf?3619

CHALLENGE: Mayowa and the Masquerades

CREATE (WRITE OR DRAW)

  1. Draw (and name) 5 masquerades commonly found in Nigeria. Make a collage of pictures of these masquerades.

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 4 – 8 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Wednesday, December 16th 2015

Next Book of the Week:

NO SCHOOL FOR EZE by Ifeoma Okoye

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

 

photo credit: cassava republic.biz

 

 

 

 

 

Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants

AGES 4 - 8, AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , ,

 

Title: Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants

Author: Dav Pilkey

Publisher: Scholastic

Number of pages: 160

Type of Book: Fiction; Graphic Novel

Age: 7 – 10

Available here: http://www.learnington-ng.com/literature/456-roald-dahl-s-mischief-and-mayhem.html?search_query=captain+underpants&results=6; http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Underpants-Perilous-Professor-Poopypants/dp/0439049989/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1448348696&sr=1-1&keywords=Captain+underpants+book+4

Price: N2000; $5.99

MY SUMMARY

This is one of the quirkiest books I have EVER read! George and Harold are two friends who like to ‘liven things up’ and inadvertently get into a LOT of trouble. In this book, they drive their new science teacher, maniacal mad-scientist, Professor Poopypants crazy and he decides to take over the world in the funniest/silliest way possible. Read it to find out how George, Harold and Captain Underpants try to stop Professor Poopypants and his perilous plan.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: The Flip-O-Rama!!! I love books with activities for readers. It makes them more interactive and automatically more interesting. I also loved the fact that George and Harold wrote, photocopied and sold comic books to their schoolmates. This brought back pleasant memories of primary school. I made good money from my classmates by selling my stories to them every week! Another highlight was the fact that the book introduces a moral in a very subtle way. It encourages kids/people not to laugh at other people. I also loved the names of the citizens of New SwissLand.

DOWN: It was a bit too silly.

RATING

4 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. Who was Captain Underpants, the underwear-wearing super hero? Krupp, the Principal of Jerome Horwitz Elementary School.    
  2. Why did Professor Pippy Pee-Pee Poopypants get so angry that he went crazy? Because George and Harold made a comic book that made fun of him.
  3. What was the perilous plot of Professor Poopypants? To take over the world and get everyone to change their names so that everyone would have silly names like him.
  4. What is the moral of the story? It’s not nice to make fun of people.
  5. Why did Mr. Fyde the science teacher resign? Because he thought he was going crazy.
  6. How did George and Harold get back at their teachers and principal for laughing at them and stopping them from going on the field trip? They went into the teacher’s lounge, taped the tap’s spray handle on the ‘on’ position, poured powdered soap flakes on the blades of the ceiling fan, and filled the fridge with white Styrofoam pellets. When the teachers came back into the lounge and turned the tap and fan on, they were first soaked, then covered with soapy powder which soon turned to paste because of the water and then when the fridge was opened, the fan blew the foam pellets all over the room and they landed on the teacher’s sticky bodies, making them look like a group of giant evil snowmen.

Visit George, Harold and Captain Underpants here: www.pilkey.com and here: http://emea.scholastic.com/en/captain-underpants

CHALLENGE: Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants  

CREATE (WRITE or DRAW)

  1. What is a Flip-O-Rama? Write a 400-word essay

 OR

  1. Make a Flip-O-Rama.

Plus:

            1a. OR 2a. What is the chapter after the chapter before the last chapter?

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com (NB: If you make a Flip-O-Rama, take a picture of your Flip-O-Rama and send it to the email address above)

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 7 – 10 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 29th 2015

Next Book of the Week:

AFRO: THE GIRL WITH THE MAGICAL HAIR by Okechukwu Ofili

TNT

Dorky DiaperLips (My new name courtesy of Professor Poopypants)

 

 

 

Ivy and Bean Book 1

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , ,

419yoHUm1hL._SX358_BO1,204,203,200_

Title: Ivy and Bean Book 1

Author: Annie Barrow

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Number of pages: 120

Type of Book: Fiction; Contemporary

Age: 8+

Available here: http://www.amazon.com/Ivy-Bean-Book-Annie-Barrows/dp/0811849090

Price: $4.13

MY SUMMARY

Ivy and Bean didn’t like each other very much at first. Maybe because their mothers always tried to get them to play with each other. Maybe because they were so different. Ivy was every bit as ladylike as Bean was an unrepentant tomboy. One day, Bean got into trouble and Ivy came to her rescue and they found out that they had a lot in common. And so their exciting friendship began. Together, they got into all sorts of mischief and misadventures, from digging up earthworms to make potions, to trying to make Ivy look like a real witch, to trying to cast a spell on Bean’s annoying big sister, Nancy and pretending to be sick in Mrs. Trantz’s backyard. An award-winning book for girls who love to laugh.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: It had a feel-good ending. It was also fast-paced. I read it in a day and then ended up buying the next book in the series and the one after that. It’s well written and very easy to read. I would recommend to kids (especially girls) who have just started reading on their own. Oh yes, and it made me smile, a lot.

DOWN: None

RATING

4 Stars 

TRIVIA

  1. Why did Ivy and Bean dig a big muddy pit in Ivy’s backyard? To find earthworms.
  2. What did they need the earthworms for? To cast a dancing spell on Bean’s sister Nancy.
  3. What became of the earthworms Ivy and Bean dug up? Bean threw them on Nancy’s face! Some fell into her shirt, some got stuck in her hair and one fell right into her mouth!
  4. What became of the big muddy pit? Nancy fell into it!
  5. Why did Bean think Ivy’s room was cool? Because it was divided into five sections by thick chalk lines drawn on the floor and each section looked like a different room.
  6. The five sections of Ivy’s room: A dressing room, a doll room, a bedroom, an art studio and a reading room. 

BONUS: What item did Ivy need for her invisibility spell? A dead frog!

Visit Ivy and Bean here: http://www.chroniclebooks.com/landing-pages/ivyandbean/index.html

CHALLENGE: Ivy and Bean Book 1

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. The benefits of reading. Write a short 300-word essay

OR

  1. Draw a picture of the Ivy’s room using the information in Trivia Answers 5 and 6.

OR

  1. Write a poem on ‘Mischief’.

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.  

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Tuesday, November 24th2015

Next Book of the Week:

CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE PERILOUS PLOT OF PROFESSOR POOPYPANTS by Dav Pilkey