Mini Reviews (13) – Kid Lit, Lately

Nooks and Crannies by Jessica Lawson
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Cute murder mystery for the MG set. Perfect for fans of Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl. I appreciate that it’s a standalone (so far, at least).

Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Celebrating Beverly Cleary’s 100th birthday (4/12/16) by listening to a shortish audiobook (perfect for our 1-1/2 hour car ride today). While not quite timeless, this story is highly relatable for elementary age kids. Ellen is a flawed, lovable heroine. I had to deduct a star for the audiobook. The narrator’s voices for the various children, especially Austine, were grating.  

Otis Spofford by Beverly Cleary
⭐ ⭐ ⭐
I don’t find Otis likable, and the section on Native Americans is VERY dated. Not my favorite of Cleary’s books.

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Not quite as good as Dahl’s other books, IMHO. I missed the magical, fantastical elements of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Matilda. Still, it was fun. The audiobook narrator, Peter Serafinowicz, was great. His voice for Danny’s dad reminded me of Christopher Eccelston, and the Cockney policeman was hilarious! 🙂

The BFG by Roald Dahl
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Roald Dahl exercises his inner Dr. Seuss. There are a hilariously ridiculous number of crazy words in this story. Dahl made up and mixed up words to create the BFG’s unique speech patterns. Fun and funny!

The Case of the Stolen Sixpence by Holly Webb
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Sweet Potato read the hardcover on her own first and then recommended it to me as one of our meal time audiobooks. After listening, Pumpkin Pie declared that he was impressed SP had read it herself (I was too!) and pronounced her “an astonishingly good reader”. 😀 As a fan of cozy mysteries, I love finding solid MG cozies for my kids! My daughter (7) is already reading the 2nd book on her own and my son (10) is asking to borrow it when she’s done. 🙂 Maisie is spunky and resourceful, and the boardinghouse provides a great setting for her to detect, as well as a way to introduce new characters.