Olivia Kidney and the Exit Academy by Ellen Potter

      Upon opening Ellen Potter's novel Olivia Kidney and the Exit Academy I became instantly attached to the main character, as I could see some of my reflection in her.  Olivia Kidney, the young girl and main character of this story, is about to move into her new home, a shabby brownstone building in New York City.  Just weeks before, her father, a handyman, had received an anonymous note asking him to take on the job of a live-in handyman for Ansel Plover.  Entirely disinterested in the thought of moving to a new home and becoming the new kid on the block yet again, Olivia begrudgingly drags her suitcase up the stairs to the front of the brownstone.
      Much to her surprise and liking, the world within the building stands in sharp contrast to the world beyond its walls. As she and her father climb the stairs and arrive at the second floor, they discover a lagoon in the center of the room.  Yes you read right, a large body of water has enveloped the entire second floor.  Personally I had to re-read this section of the novel to ensure that I had in fact understood it correctly.  Olivia and her father make their way across the lagoon in a small boat and up a metal staircase to their new rooms.
       Within these first few pages readers are bound to continue reading and never put the book down.  Those who do continue will soon find that Olivia has a special way of communicating with her brother who recently passed away.  As the story further unfolds, hidden secrets of Ansel's brownstone building will be unveiled and it even becomes evident that Olivia's father is doing every possible activity except for handy-work.  Soon you will become weary of Ansel, especially when Olivia stumbles across his late night auditorium rehearsals. 
         Ellen Potter's writing style is absolutely wonderful for young children who may easily become distracted during reading.  Each page is festooned with countless details and descriptions making it so that the story comes alive in a reader's mind.  In fact, I found the few illustrations in the book a bit distracting because I had already crafted my own characters.  Though that is my personal opinion and it's quite likely that a younger child may greatly appreciate the comic-like illustrations of Peter Reynolds.
          Though I certainly enjoyed the book and would encourage my own students to read it, I would suggest that they come to me with any questions while reading.  The end of the text slightly delves into the topic of death and after-life, a topic that could easily cause uneasiness or controversy.  However, Ellen Potter discusses the fact of life lightly and with comic relief, making it more appropriate for young readers.   
          You must be itching to find out why this book is called the Exit Academy?  Before you dive head first into this book I suggest you first try Olivia Kidney, the prequel to this tale, if you have not already read it.  You have already read these books and want more, you say?  I suggest you check out other books by Ellen Potter, like Pish Posh, Olivia Kidney Secret Beneath City, Olivia Kidney Stops for No One, and Slob.

I'm still here in the bathtub (brand new silly dilly songs) by Alan Katz

If you were fond of classic songs such as "Take Me Out to the Ballgame", "The Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Three Blind Mice", and "Bingo" during your childhood then you are bound to fall in love with the book of poems Alan Katz has concocted.  In this collection Katz re-writes each of the classic nursery rhymes and songs, giving them a new and funky twist.  He keeps the rhyme scheme and general format of the tune identical, but each of the songs has an revamped storyline.   

If the silly songs haven't entirely sold you, though I certainly hope this is not the case, take one peek at the illustrations and you'll be hooked.  David Catrow's bright, colorful, hugely hilarious, and detailed depictions wonderfully extend the text of the songs, keeping readers engaged long after the song is finished.  It's simply impossible to take in all of the many details on each page during one run-through of the tune.

Katz takes the original tune "Bingo" and cleverly alters the words of the tune so that it tells the tale of a small boy ranting about the items of clothing his parents have purchased for him.  Readers will find a resemblance to the original tune when they sing "I-T-C-H-Y", but that is where the similarities begin and end.  The clever illustration of the brown pooch practically pops off the page and those who look carefully will find a small boy peering from behind a slender tree.  Take a peek inside this book to discover why this small boy is hiding off in the distance.       

Within pages readers will be greeted by the chubby cheeks and pursed red lips of Aunt Marie.  The hilariously silly tale of relatives that smother and smooch upon a small child must be sung to the tune of "The Alphabet Song" for full effect.  Once again Catrow's captivating illustrations hook readers' curiosity making it difficult to flip the page without reading to find out more about these gigantic rose-colored pursed lips.   

This collection of funny songs is a wonderful opener to a poetry unit, emphasizing to children that poetry is not always serious but quite right wacky and nonsensical.  Children who have a fear of poetry may likely open their minds to the realm of rhyme and metaphorical language after hearing several of these hilarious jingles. 

If you were fond of these silly songs, then you'll also like other song books, such as Are You Quite Polite? Silly Dilly Manner Songs, Smelly Locker: Silly Dilly Songs, and On Top of the Potty: And Other Get-Up-and-Go-Songs.