Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Challenge Completed: What An Animal

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on May 30, 2009
Posted in 2009 Completed Challenges  | 8 Comments


Thanks to Kristi from Passion For The Page is hosting the What An Animal challenge ! I sure hope you host it again!

I did this challenge in memory of Robbie (he’s the cutie one in the photo with my husband Bill).

Please show your support by clicking on this link and donating free pet food (that’s right, no cost to you, just the time it takes to click.) Here’s the link or you can click on the picture of Robbie. Once there, you can also subscribe to get a daily email reminder to click to donate free food.

Please leave a comment to let me know you donated food. Thanks!!

Here’s a list of what I read for the challenge (click on the titles to read my reviews):

1. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

2. Bark Up the Right Tree by Jessie & Ruth Tschudin

3. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

4. Dear John by Norma L. Betz

5.Amos’s Sweater by Janet Lunn

6.Finklehopper Frog Cheers by Irene Livingson

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Thanks to Michelle of 1 More Chapter for hosting this challenge!


This challenge ends on Sunday, so I finished just in the nick of time!


Here is the 10 books I read and their awards:

Governor General’s Award:
1. Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje

Pulitzer Prize:
2. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

PEN / Faulkner Award for Fiction:
3. Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

Alex Award:
4. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

2004 Original Voices Award:
5. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The 2008 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize:
6. The Golden Age by Tahmima Anam

The Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Medal:
7. Amos’s Sweater by Janet Lunn

The Childrens Book Council- Children’s Choice Award:
8. Finklehopper Frog Cheers by Irene Livingson

The Canadian Council for the Arts Governor General’s Literary Award:
9.The Party by Barbara Reid

1972 Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award for Children:
10.Mary of Mile 18 by Ann Blades

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

More Children’s Picture Books in Review

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on May 28, 2009
Posted in Books Read in 2009Children's Books  | 11 Comments

Here are more treasures that I found by Canadian Authors:


Pigs by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Michael Matchenko: When I went to the library and told the librarian that I wanted to be introduced to some Canadian Children’s books her first recommendation was anything by Robert Munsch. She said he was a must.

Pigs is about Megan, a little girl. Before school her father asks her to feed the pigs. He said, “but please don’t open the gate. Pigs are smarter than you think.” Megan goes to feed the pigs and looks at them . She said, these are the dumbest looking animals I have ever seen.” She opens the gate. Boy, was that a mistake!

This is a really cute story with bright and wonderful pictures. I think this would be a lot of fun to read with children. Hmm.. I don’t have any of my own and my niece is now 17 years old. Maybe I could borrow one of yours. LOL!


Mary of Mile 18 by Ann Blades: Mile 18 is a remote farming community off the Alaska Highway in northern British Columbia Canada. It is a real place but is now called Buick.

This is the story of Mary who lives in Mile 18. Mary lives on a farm with her family. It doesn’t have any modern conveniences such as running water or indoor plumbing. One day when Mary arrives home from school she sees a little puppy and runs up to it. She asked her father if she could keep him but her father said, ” You know the rules. Our animals must work for us, or give us food.” Mary was very disappointed. However, later an incident happens. You’ll have to read it to see what happens.

Ann Blades also illustrated this book. The pictures are bright and beautiful and the story is quite cute.

Bamboo by Paul Yee Illustrated by Shaoli: In a Chinese village, a small farmer, Bamboo meets and falls in love with Ming, a peasant girl. Soon after they are married, Bamboo goes to the New World to make more money. While he is gone, Jin, Ming’s sister-in-law makes life miserable for her. Ming goes on anyway and tries to make the best of it. Then Bamboo’s ship sinks on the way home and he is said to be dead.

There is much more to it and is a delightful story. The pictures are amazing and has a lot of detail. I just question if the story is really that good for very little children. With the adult issues going on. I recommend you read it yourself first and then decide if it’s okay for your little ones.

I will have more wonderful picture books to share but this is it for now. To be continued sometime in the future.

Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.