AUGUST 2018

To Mama and Papa Cats

As a former elementary teacher and special education teacher, I know how hard it is to get kids interested in non-fiction and particularly historical non-fiction. Books written in the first person as diaries or with real characters solving real problems can change all that.

As everyone takes one last dip in the pool, runs through the sprinkler, takes in a movie before heading back to the classroom, I think of a time in the 1950’s when the pools and movie theatres closed and many children whose summers began with the joyful abandonment of summer break ended with braces, iron lungs or worse.

 It was the polio epidemic of the 1950’s. Author Peg Kehret remembers it well in her book SMALL STEPS; THE YEAR I GOT POLIO.

FOR THE Mid-Grade Kittens

Meet twelve year old Peg Schulze (later, author Peg Kehret). An ordinary Friday Morning in September can’t go by fast enough as Peg awaits a Homecoming Parade for which she and her have created a magnificent float, sure to win first prize.

She tries to ignore a twitching on her thigh during chorus and hands that tremble as she reaches for her glass of milk. But she can’t ignore the high fever and headache that finally send her willingly to bed. The next morning, with a temperature of 102, too ill to dress herself, she is taken to a hospital where a procedure called a spinal tap gives her and her family a diagnosis. Polio.

You’ll cheer her on as she takes her first hesitant steps and learns to use fore-arm crutches. You’ll laugh as she hides the goodies under the beds that her parents bring. You’ll cry with her as her favorite cards and toys have to be burned before she can move to another room in the hospital.

This 174 page book will have you turning pages as she goes to a hospital for polio victims, meets three other girls who share each others’ journeys and finally makes her way home again to a life that will be forever changed.

I give this read 5 catnips!

For the Mama and Papa cats of Itty Bitty Kittys

Picture books are of course a mainstay and delight for the littlest readers. In fact many children return to their favorites long after being read to has been replaced by independent reading. At this time of year the early read section of the library has numerous books to help the youngest readers with their first school experiences.

 I WILL NEVER GET A STAR ON MRS. BENSON’S BLACKBOARD byJennifer K.Mann. We can all identify with the child who seems to always be going the wrong way down a one way street. Rose is that child. She doodles, she daydreams, she doesn’t finish math problems and her desk is a mess. And she wants more than anything to get a star on the blackboard.

With a heart as big as gold, she goes to work designing the very best thank you card for Mr. Sullivan who had told everyone about being an artist.. Trouble is she had just cleaned her desk, hoping for a clean desk star. Her enthusiasm for the art project rendered her desk a mess once more.

A terrific and heartfelt “read to me book” or book for the emergent reader. Illustrations are simple and colorful with wonderful expressive faces.

I give this book from Candlewick Press 5 catnips!

BRIGHT SKY STARRY CITY Uma Krishnawami Pictures by Aimee Sicuro

 Non-fiction books sadly get a bad rap. So when I see fiction as a backdrop to non-fiction, I’m always very excited. BRIGHT SKY STARRY SKY is a color picture book aimed at the youngest astronomer. Simply written, it’s a wonderful introduction to the solar system with a more sophisticated appendix at the end of the book for the parent or mature child who would like more information.

Pheobe is excited to set up telescopes outside her dad’s store so they can see two planets, Saturn and Mars. Problem is, Pheobe lives in the city, and the city lights keep them from seeing the night constellations and planets. Then a thunderstorm cuts off the power to the city and everything including the sky is black.

I give this read 4 catnips.

THE WELL-WRITTEN KITTEN A blog for all things related to children’s literature

This blog is for readers and their parents; I want to scour the bookstores and libraries for the best of the best including some oldies and classics.

I look forward to hearing from parents and children alike, and as always, I will do everything in my power to make sure this blog is family friendly and “kitten” safe.

My name is Candace Hardy. I am an author/illustrator from NW Ohio. My love of books goes back to my childhood when my favorite place to read was enclosed in the laundry chute which encircled me like a cage. With sheets draped around me tent-like, I was good for hours with my favorite CHERRY AMES NURSE series.

Today, I see children descending on our library browsing the rows of CD’s, and leaving, for the most part, bookless.

This blog is dedicated to children who love to read, love to be read to, have found reading boring, are emergent readers or are sophisticated readers looking for high interest age-appropriate reads.

The WELL-WRITTEN KITTEN will try each month to include some good reads from each genre.

To Mama and Papa Cats  To help the mama and papa kitten select the very best reads for their little litter as well as words of caution where appropriate.

PICTURE BOOKS Itty Bitty Kittys Books with a much lower word count and aimed at the earliest ‘listener’. Great for preschoolers who will enjoy the illustrations which often carry the story line.

For “Mewly” reading kittens These books are for the emergent reader; from the early reader who can pick out letters and repetitive words to the school age early reader who can begin reading for himself. Remember this child will often enjoy listening to a book with a higher interest level  than his reading level; nice time for Mama and Papa cat to read an early high interest chapter book creating a lifelong love of reading and books.

FOR THE Mid-Grade Kittens Mid-grade novels with a word range from 20,000 – 55,000, aimed at 8-12 year olds, some aimed at the “tween reader” and having a longer word count for the “upper middle grade”.

THE SOPHISTO-KITTY This is for the young adult reader; YA is the official category. The age of the young adult reader has dropped drastically in recent years. Perhaps wonderful books such as the HARRY POTTER SERIES have in part been responsible for that change. I very much consider the first installment, HARRY POTTER and the SORCERERS STONE to be a strong midgrade. By the time the child is reading DEATHLY HALLOWS, the series should be characterized as a YA because of word count, sophistication of language and subject matter as well as intensity. That being said, I hope no parent will overlook this amazing series because of content.

My advice to Mama and Papa cat is to be aware of your child’s reading choices but not censor.

 I’ll give each book a “catnip rating” .

Last but not least I’ll try to include THE WELL-WRTTEN KITTEN’s  Current Read; so feel free to read along and give it your own catnip rating.

 Last but not least I’ll try to include THE WELL-WRTTEN KITTEN’s  Current Read; so feel free to read along and give it your own catnip rating.