Animalkind
Sean P. Griffin
PublishAmerica (2008)
ISBN 9781604745535
Fiction, Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult
Reviewed by Ian McCurley (age 14) for Reader Views (3/08)

Synopsis: When Thane, son of the Vegan King, experiences debilitating headaches, he soon finds himself undergoing a metamorphosis that ultimately culminates in his undertaking a tremendous adventure. With newfound abilities, Thane finds himself leading the people of Arvyndale in an assertion of their freedom against the Carnivores of their planet. Author Sean P. Griffin creates a fascinating and socially-relevant world filled with intrigue and moral dilemma in his new fantasy novel Animalkind.

Young Vegan Prince Thane embodies many of the traditional mythological hero's qualities, although he is initially devoid of supernatural powers-even his ability to shapeshift is normal in his world. Griffin creates a very human (Vegan) hero readers can relate to. Despite his role as prince of Arvyndale, Thane is not born a hero, but has greatness thrust upon him after an assassination attempt spurs him to action and he must quickly learn from his mistakes and become the hero his people desperately need.

Griffin has created a diverse and unusual fantasy world, and his background in biology and zoology lends his depiction of Aegea a stunning realism. The Aegean people are divided into five races, the Vegan, Carnic, Avian, Aquan and Reptilian. While on earth, humans eat animals, on Aegea, each creature is human but also shapeshifts into an animal. Interesting questions are posed regarding what is permissible as a form of food. To the creature about to be eaten, they are not just interesting questions but a matter of life and death! And the Carnivores appear to want to eat everything. Will the other races on the planet be able to come together to stop the Carnivores?
Read review of Animalkind
Read interview with Sean P. Griffin
Listen to interview on Inside Scoop Live
Visit author's website http://www.seanpgriffin.com/

The Four Little Children: A Likely Story
Larry Michalove
iUniverse (2005)
ISBN 9780595347995
Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy, Early Reader
Reviewed by Mathew Feliciano (age 8) for Reader Views (3/08)

Synopsis: When Larry Michalove was asked to serve his country as a navigator in Vietnam in 1970, he left behind his wife and four small children. To remain a part of his children's lives, he started to write stories in his letters home about Lisa, David, Stacy, and Karen, his own children. Now after nearly forty years, he has collected and published those stories in his entertaining collection The Four Little Children-A Likely Story.

When Lisa, David, Stacy, and Karen Michalove meet the magical, kind elf, Ramor, they suddenly find themselves having the adventures of a lifetime. Ramor takes them on many exciting journeys while using his magical powers to ensure the children are always safe and sound. What began as wonderful adventures for the children became lessons to help them grow and learn.

The children's adventures include a story, Ants Can Be Friends, in which they learn disputes can be resolved without violence or fighting through the use of good communications. A second adventure centers on a mysterious haunted house while in another story, the children encounter green moon people and flee with them while being pursued by Martians. Other episodes include a visit to the North Pole, a farm with talking animals, and flying with a hive of bees.

The Four Little Children-A Likely Story provides the entertaining adventures children crave while it teaches lessons and values teachers and parents will appreciate. Michalove often visits classrooms to read his stories aloud to elementary school students. The positive responses he received when reading his stories encouraged him to publish The Four Little Children-A Likely Story.
Read review of The Four Little Chidren
Read interview with Larry Michalove

Now For My Next Number!: Songs for Multiplying Fun (with CD)
Margaret Park; Pictures by Sophia Esterman
Great River Books (2007)
ISBN 9780915556380
Reviewed by Matthew Feliciano (age 7) for Reader Views (3/08)

Synopsis: Now for my Next Number! by Margaret Park presents a collection of colorful, easy-to-sing, easy-to-memorize songs that will help children practice and learn multiplication. Each song features a number and its multiples and tells a story in rhythm, rhyme, melody and pictures, making math a lively and multi-sensory activity.

Imaginative full color illustrations set the scenes and show coherent groupings of objects that show the number and the number of times it is multiplied. By counting the objects in the pictures children will understand how each multiplication product is derived.

Original music and vocals on the CD will have children singing along and effortlessly absorbing the products of the times tables. When it's time to know the times tables in school, children will already know the answers and have an easy way to practice while singing these songs.

Kathy Jardine, the creator of the Durples stories and characters, is the wife of Ron, the mother of three grown girls and the grandmother of a special little boy named Brayden. Kathy has spent many years selflessly working with special needs children and throughout those years was inspired by those same children to write and share her stories. Kathy's most significant message is to judge nobody by their appearance, as it is what is on the inside that really counts. It is quite clear that she values how special each and every child in the world is and spreading that message has become very important to her.

Ashley Jardine, the daughter of Kathy Jardine, is inspired by her mother's passion for children.  After reading Kathy's ideas for the Durples, and having such a deep appreciation for the importance of Kathy's message, she dedicated herself to ensuring the project was complete with writing, re-writing and eventually illustrating the story. 

Meet the Durples. Cindyloo, Mollyboo and Woodroo invite you to join them on their adventure in Elkton Forest where they meet many new and unique friends. One of their new friends, an outcast named Odalee, teaches them how to play his musical instrument; the mookaluke. 

When confronted with bullies, the Durples show their new friends a unique way of dealing with them. Children will learn the importance of acceptance and understand how 'cool' each and every character is despite any physical hindrances they may appear to have. The Durples: Get Lost in Elkton Forest is the first book of the Durples series. You don't want to miss out on any of these fun filled learning adventures!
Listen to interview with Ashley & Kathy Jardine