Hey, Bruce! An Interactive Book by Ryan T. Higgins

Dear Reader, 

Do you remember when Rupert wanted to make a wordless book? You do? Well, if you recall, Bruce of Mother Bruce fame only made a brief cameo in Be Quiet! Rupert and his chatty pals Thistle and Nibbs are back and making another book. This one's going to be interactive and if the title is any indication, Bruce will be the star of the book. Get ready to laugh. 

Sincerely, 

Bridget (Librarian and Reviewer at What Is Bridget Reading?)

Thoughts: Hey, Bruce! is the epitome of an interactive book. The best part? You get to make grouchy, grumpy old Bruce do things he would never do. The mice are their usual outrageous selves. I can't wait to use this book in storytime. Interactive books are always fun, but an interactive book about Bruce will be an instant hit. The illustrations are colorful and detailed. I like the mixture of types of illustrations and the use of white space. The expressions on the characters' faces are especially well done. My favorite is Bruce in the pajamas the mice force on him. 

Find tons of Bruce activity sheets from the publisher here. 

Themes: Interactive Books, Bears, Forest, Grumpy Animals 

Checkout other books by Ryan T. Higgins: 

• Mother Bruce
• Hotel Bruce 
• Be Quiet! 
• Bruce's Big Move 
• Santa Bruce 
• 1 Grumpy Bruce 
• Bruce's Big Fun Day
• Bruce's Big Storm 
• Peek-a-Bruce
• The Bruce Swap
• Ballet Bruce
• Spring Stinks
• Thanks for Nothing
• We Don't Eat Our Classmates 
• We Will Rock Our Classmates 
• Norman Didn't Do It! 
• What About Worms!?

(Disney Hyperion, 2022.)

Ballet Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins

World of Reading Level 1

Bruce will apparently do anything for his geese especially make multiple trips to town to get all the paraphernalia they need to do ballet. 

Thoughts: Too funny! I love the sad geese eyes and how much grumpy old Bruce loves his geese. The story reminded me of Let's Go for a Drive! by Mo Willems. I love forward to having another Bruce book to add to my repertoire. 

Find all sorts of Bruce activities and printables on the publisher's website here. 

Themes: Ballet, Dance, Bears, Grumpy Animals

Checkout other books by Ryan T. Higgins: 

• Mother Bruce
• Hotel Bruce 
• Be Quiet! 
• Bruce's Big Move 
• Santa Bruce 
• 1 Grumpy Bruce 
• Bruce's Big Fun Day
• Bruce's Big Storm 
• Peek-a-Bruce
• The Bruce Swap
• Spring Stinks
• Thanks for Nothing
• We Don't Eat Our Classmates 
• We Will Rock Our Classmates 
• Norman Didn't Do It! 
• What About Worms!?

(Disney Hyperion, 2022.)

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

What Is Bridget Reading? is 14 years old today! 

September 24, 2008 was a Wednesday. I was in my fourth semester of graduate school. This blog began with the booktalks I was writing during my Programming for Children and Young Adults course. 

Since then I've added reviews, reading projects (Harry Potter, Ramona, and Beatrix Potter), library program reflections, and Flannel Friday posts. I also became involved with the Cybils Awards for the first time in 2013. 2022 marks my fifth year serving as a category chair. 

I'm looking forward to blogging for many more years to come. And hoping as always that I can blog more regularly than sporadically in the future.

Older Blogiversary Posts for a Walk Down Memory Lane: 

2010

2013

2014

2020

Cybils 2022: Call for Judges

 

It's time for the 2022 Cybils!!! I am honored to be the Poetry Category Chair once again. 

The official Call for Judges has been announced and you have until Friday, September 9 at 11:59pm EDT to apply to be a panelist or judge. Read the Call for Judges here. Anyone who reads and reviews children's and young adult books via a social media platform (a blog, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, GoodReads, Twitter, TikTok, etc.) is eligible to apply. If you can't volunteer to be a judge, help spread the word about Cybils on social media and nominate your favorite books. Nominations open to the public on October 1.

I've served as a panelist 6 times...4 times in Poetry and 2 times in Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction. It's a fun process. You get to read lots of great books and discuss them with like minded people. I'm not going to lie: It's also a lot of work, but so rewarding. The beauty of Cybils is that nominations come from the public and the judges are a mix of teachers, librarians, parents, and book bloggers. I like the emphasis that is placed on kid appeal. Often I read major award winning books and I wonder about the amount of kid appeal (or lack thereof) that they have.

I'm going to list all the categories below, but forgive me for recommending my own category. Poetry is fun to read and discuss. It also usually has fewer nominations than the other categories. In 2021 Poetry had 40 nominations. 

I've been rounding up titles eligible in the Poetry category for 2022 (October 16, 2021-October 15, 2022). So far there are about 60 if they all get nominated. 

Cybils Awards Categories

• Fiction Picture Books & Board Books 
• Easy Reader & Early Chapter Books
• Elementary/Middle Nonfiction 
• Middle Grade Fiction 
• Elementary/Middle Grade Speculative Fiction 
• Graphic Novels 
• High School Nonfiction 
• Poetry 
• Young Adult Speculative Fiction 
• Young Adult Fiction 

Find Cybils on Social Media

• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• GoodReads
• YouTube
• TikTok

Julia's House Goes Home by Ben Hatke

Julia's house is still looking for the perfect place. Julia thinks she's finally found it when a treacherous path separates Julia from her house and drops pieces of the house and creatures as it careens away. Will Julia, her house, and the creatures ever be reunited? 

Thoughts: So happy that there's another Julia book, but also a little sad as I think it might be the last. Definitely getting Howl's Moving Castle the movie vibes from this book. The illustrations are colorful and detailed. I love that Julia's so welcoming even in dire situations. I also love how the creatures rally around her when she's despondent. Now that there are three books, I'd love to do a library program with the Julia books. I think they would pair well with Journey, Quest, and Return all by Aaron Becker. I did stumble upon a "Julia's House Series Activity Kit" from the publisher through a Google search, but couldn't find the page with the link on their website. 

Other Books about Julia and Her House 

1. Julia's House for Lost Creatures
2. Julia's House Moves On

 (First Second, 2021.) 

The Tide Pool Waits by Candace Fleming

A day in the life of a tide pool. Waiting is the name of the game. 

Thoughts: A fun, informative book with colorful, detailed illustrations suitable for the youngest children. Librarians will find this book especially timely as the Collaborative Summer Library Program's theme this year is oceanography. I'll be using this book for my beach themed event for kids ages 7-12. I learned about  many ocean animals that I'd never heard of before reading this book. The acrylic paint and pencil illustrations are perfection. The lack of outlines makes them have almost a dream like quality. The sections at the end of book (An Illustrated Guide to This Tide Pool, Let's Explore, and Where Do They Live?) offer more information for interested readers. Find a lesson plan with fun writing activities on the publisher's website here. 

Themes: Ocean, Beach, Ocean Animals 

(Illustrated by Amy Hevron. Neal Porter Books, 2022.)

Knight Owl by Christopher Denise

Owl wants to be a knight. Though owls aren't normally knights, the disappearance of many of the knights from the castle leads to Owl's career as knight. Not only does he excel as a knight, he solves the mystery of the disappearances and makes many friends. 

Thoughts: What a fun book! Owls are one of my favorite animals and I love the character Christopher Denise created in Owl. The illustrations are detailed and the color palette perfectly suits the story. I love all the yellow tones through the book's illustrations. The pizza was a great surprise. 

For an owls, dragons, and food themed storytime, pair Knight Owl with Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin, and Hoot Owl: Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor. 

Themes: Owls, Knights, Dragons, Pizza

(Christy Ottaviano Books, 2022.)