Category: Reading Club

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Tundra Reading Club: The Highest Number in the World Reviews

Hi everyone!

It’s time to share the Reading Club reviews for The Highest Number in the World!

TundraReadingClub

The Highest Number in the World

The Highest Number in the World
Written by Roy MacGregor | Illustrated by Geneviève Després
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 6-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-5753

“MacGregor’s writing packs an emotional punch without relying on sentimentality…Expressive pencil drawings, brightened with color washes, perfectly capture the characters’ feelings…A memorable, intergenerational picture book perfect for sharing.”- Starred Review, Booklist

  • Adrienne at BooksandBassets likes that it’s about “girl power and historical context.”
  • Lee-Ann at Goodreads thinks the book does “a wonderful job at showing how if you look at disappointment a different way it is possible to see it as an opportunity to discover something else and just as thrilling.”
  • Mary-Esther at Sister’s Library calls it a “sweet story that warms the heart.”
  • Stephanie at The Nomadic Reader felt the story “resonated with [her] as a Canadian and of course as a lover of hockey.”
  • Ann Marie at a dainty dish calls it a “hat-trick – in its story, words and images!”

If you read the book as well, please let us know what you thought about it in the comments below! Are there any other inspirational hockey stories you love?

I’m also very excited to announce our April reading club book: Outstanding in the Rain by Frank Viva! Make sure you check back here next Monday to sign up for your chance to win a review copy.

Thanks for participating and see you next week!

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Tundra Reading Club: March 2015

Hi everyone!

Another month, another book!

Just to remind you:

Each month, we’ll post a book and a sign-up form for bloggers. Then we’ll randomly choose the lucky five who will receive a copy (in some cases, an advance copy) in exchange for a review on their blog!

Of course, everyone is free to participate via tweets (@TundraBooks) or in the comment section on the monthly post.

To make it easy to work into your busy schedules, we’ve chosen picture books so it shouldn’t take you too long to read the book of the month (or like me, you might pore over it for hours and be distracted by the illustrations).

TundraReadingClubSince the hockey season is ending next month, our pick for March, The Highest Number in the World by Roy MacGregor, is perfect for any hockey fan. It’s also a lovely inter-generational tale about a grandmother and her granddaughter, and includes wonderful illustrations by Geneviève Després.

The Highest Number in the WorldNine-year-old Gabe (Gabriella) Murray lives and breathes hockey. She’s the youngest player on her new team, she has a nifty move that her teammates call “the Gabe,” and she shares lucky number 22 with her hero, Hayley Wickenheiser. But when her coach hands out the team jerseys, Gabe is stuck with number 9. Crushed, Gabe wants to give up hockey altogether. How can she play without her lucky number? Gabe’s grandmother soon sets her straight, though – from her own connection to the number 9 in her hockey-playing days to all the greats she cheered for who wore it, she soon convinces Gabe that this new number might not be so bad after all.

Also, if you know any middle grade hockey lovers, make sure you check out Roy’s successful Screech Owls series.

Visit your local library or bookstore to get reading! If you’re interested, fill in the form below and we’ll randomly select five bloggers to read and review a copy of The Highest Number in the World and join our discussion. You have until Monday March 9 at 3 pm EST to sign up, so don’t delay!

SIGN-UP FORM CLOSED!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Lee Ann, Mary-Esther, Stephanie, Adrienne, and Ann Marie! We look forward to your reviews!

Check back in on Monday, March 23, 2015 for our reading club discussion of The Highest Number in the World!

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Tundra Reading Club: An Armadillo in Paris Reviews

Hi everyone!

Happy Monday!

I’m thrilled to share our five reader reviews for our February reading club pick, Julie Kraulis’ An Armadillo in Paris.

TundraReadingClub

An Armadillo in Paris

An Armadillo in Paris
Written and illustrated by Julie Kraulis
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-9
ISBN: 978-1-77049-526-5
“…Julie Kraulis’s sophisticated oil-and-graphite artwork is chic, with elegant lines and a muted palette…Informative and charming, An Armadillo in Paris is sure to please armchair travelers who will eagerly await more of Arlo’s globe-trotting adventures.” – Quill & Quire

  • Danielle at This Picture Book Life loves the “unexpected choice of an armadillo as [a] main character” and comments on Arlo’s “sweet, shiny eyes.” She’s also hosting a giveaway!
  • Tanya at Pass the Damn Ham, Please thinks this is a book “meant to be pored over again and again.”
  • Jules at curtains for the windows says that “this story is for anyone who longs for adventure and finds wonder in everything.”
  •  Emilie at Not So Impossible Things suggests that “reading the book felt like a mini-adventure prelude to the real thing.”
  • Jo Ann at The Book Faerie calls it a “charming tale” and a “grand tour.”

If you read the book as well, please let us know what you thought about it in the comments below! Did you guess the Iron Lady’s identity before Arlo? Did the book bring back memories of a Parisian trip? Or maybe it reminded you to add Paris to your bucket list!

I’m also very excited to announce our March reading club book: The Highest Number in the World by Roy MacGregor and illustrated by Geneviève Després. Make sure you check back here next Monday to sign up for your chance to win a review copy.

Thanks for participating and see you next week!

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Tundra Reading Club: February 2015

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re all ready for this month’s reading club!

Just to remind you:

Each month, we’ll post a book and a sign-up form for bloggers. Then we’ll randomly choose the lucky five who will receive a copy (in some cases, an advance copy) in exchange for a review on their blog!

Of course, everyone is free to participate via tweets (@TundraBooks) or in the comment section on the monthly post.

To make it easy to work into your busy schedules, we’ve chosen picture books so it shouldn’t take you too long to read the book of the month (or like me, you might pore over it for hours and be distracted by the illustrations).

TundraReadingClub

As we announced last week, our February pick is Julie Kraulis’ gorgeous An Armadillo in Paris. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, what better way to celebrate than with a stroll through Paris, the city of love?

An Armadillo in ParisA winsome armadillo from Brazil takes a trip to Paris in this delightful picture book from Julie Kraulis. Arlo is an armadillo who is always up for adventure. His grandfather, Augustin, loved adventure too. When Arlo was born, Augustin wrote travel journals about his favorite places for Arlo to use when he was hold enough to go exploring on his own. When Arlo reads about Paris and the one the French call La Dame de Fer, or Iron Lady, he decides it’s time to strike out on his first adventure. He travels to France and, guided by Augustin’s journal, discovers the joys of Paris: eating a flakey croissant at a café, visiting the Louvre, walking along the Seine and, of course, meeting the Iron Lady… But who is she? Each spread has a clue about her identity, and kids will see hints of her scattered throughout the book.

Visit your local library or bookstore to get reading! If you’re interested, fill in the form below and we’ll randomly select five bloggers to read and review a copy of An Armadillo in Paris and join our discussion.

SIGN-UP FORM CLOSED!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Tanya, Jo Ann, Danielle, Emilie, and Jules! We look forward to your reviews!

Check back in on Monday, February 23, 2015 for our book club’s first meeting to discuss An Armadillo in Paris!

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Tundra Reading Club: Spic-and-Span! Reviews

Hi everyone!

Happy Tuesday!

I’m so happy to share our five reader reviews for our January reading club pick, Monica Kulling’s Spic-and-Span! Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen.

TundraReadingClub

Spic-and-SpanSpic-and-Span!
Lillian Gilbreth’s Wonder Kitchen
Written by Monica Kulling
Illustrated by David Parkins
Hardcover | 32 Pages | Ages 5-8
ISBN: 978-1-77049-380-3
“This engaging picture-book biography details the many accomplishments of Lillian Gilbreth … Kulling deftly describes early twentieth-century social, physical, and technical conditions that presented challenges to productivity in both public and private settings, and she explains how Gilbreth’s innovations improved conditions, creating context so that young readers can appreciate the extent of her contributions. Parkins’ rich, cartoon-like illustrations provide clear period detail, and his characters’ faces portray an extensive range of emotions, adding interest and emphasizing Gilbreth’s primary commitment to her family. Student researchers might also enjoy other titles in the Great Idea series…” – Booklist

  • Shilpa at SukasaReads thought the illustrations by David Parkins “do a remarkable job taking kids through that time period, yet still keeping the book relatable.”
  • Ann Marie at a dainty dish loved the poem at the beginning because it “sets the tone for the story and the state of mind – calm, restful and relaxed – that Lilian was hoping to help others achieve through her innovations.” She also included a modified recipe for Frank Gilbreth’s beloved apple cake! Yum!
  • Heather at Books and Quilts said that Monica Kulling “brought Lillian Gilbreth to life” and recommended the book “to all young women considering a career in engineering.”
  • Jennifer at A Penne for Your Thoughts recommended it for 6-10 year olds because she believes the Great Ideas Series “will spark interest in learning more about the remarkable people they tell the stories of.”
  • Annette at Teacher Librarian suggested it would be a “wonderful book to feature during Women’s History Month” (review will go live January 30th, 2015).

If you read the book as well, please let us know what you thought about it in the comments below! How many of you knew that Lillian Gilbreth was that accomplished?

I’m also very excited to announce our February reading club book: An Armadillo in Paris by Julie Kraulis. Make sure you check back here next Monday to sign up for your chance to win a review copy.

Thanks for participating and see you next week!

Tundra Book Group