Monday Children’s Book Reviews for January 6, 2014

1 Cookie, 2 Chairs, 3 Pears: Numbers Everywhere by Jane Brocket

“Five toes, twelve cupcakes, nineteen puzzle pieces—numbers are all around us. How many numbers can you count in the pages of this book?”         [JPB BROCKET]

The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

“At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens…whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life. As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen’s destiny is to follow in her mother’s wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven’s style. She’s starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.

“What if Raven doesn’t sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both.”  The first book in a new series by Shannon Hale.                                  [J HALE]

100 Most Feared Creatures by Anna Claybourne

“This book explores the world’s most ferocious creatures and reveals the deadliest facts about these terrifying animals. Who fights off predators by spraying blood from its eyes? How does the slender, deep-sea gulper swallow prey twice its size? Who sucks out body fluids with its short, sharp mouthparts? Readers will learn everything they ever wanted to know about some of the scariest creatures on the planet.”                 [J591.65 CLAYBOURNE]