Read, Write, Repeat.

Of all the members of my family, my cat, Vince, has the easiest schedule this summer.

I mean, just look at him over there on the right. He’s not working, going to summer camp or running errands. He doesn’t even pick up after himself.

While the rest of us rush around, Vince sleeps in a sunbeam or gazes out the window. The only time he shows any enthusiasm is when he thinks we ought to feed him.

It doesn’t seem fair, does it?

So, I decided to put Vince on his own version of a summer reading program. After all, he’d grudgingly reviewed cat-related books for my blog before. (You can read his takes on Where is Catkin, Frankie Works the Night Shift and Raj, the Bookstore Tiger).

Asking him to review one title this summer didn’t seem too taxing.

And goodness knows I could use the break.

In the past, I’ve succeeded in getting Vince to review books by casually leaving them around the house where I knew he’d see them.

This time, I was more direct.

I put I Am Tama, Lucky Cat (Peachtree, 2011), a Japanese folktale by Wendy Henrichs and Yoshiko Jaeggi, in front of Vince’s nose and told him to make himself useful and to make it snappy.

He ignored me and snuggled into his sunbeam.

I threatened to cut off his supply of cat treats and switch him back to dry food. But he was unimpressed.

Finally, Vince relented.

He left the following review on my computer and promptly went back to sleep. Same sunbeam, different angle.

Take it away, Vince.

This book is about a cat named Tama. He lives in Japan where he is doted on by a poor Buddhist monk.

Doted on.

The monk lets Tama come in out of the cold, shares what little food he has, admires Tama’s beautiful orange-and-black markings and is happy to have the cat simply sit by him. Tama’s mere presence is enough to make the monk happy.

He never expects Tama do extra things like book reviews.

But anyhow … Tama is grateful for the monk’s care. And he wants to help the temple, which is old and run-down. Like any self-respecting cat, he catches a mouse now and then. But one day, he does something much more important.

A samurai warlord seeks shelter under a temple tree during a storm. Tama raises his right paw and welcomes him. The samurai is impressed and comes forward to greet the cat. As he does, the branch of the tree he was standing under is struck by lightning and falls, landing right where the samurai had been just a few seconds before.

It’s a near miss. And, the samurai — intelligent man that he is — recognizes that Tama’s friendliness saved his life. He thanks the cat by repairing the temple and making sure the monk, the worshippers and the cat have everything they need to be comfortable for the rest of their lives.

And, of course, Tama’s actions result in cats like him being linked to good fortune throughout Japan. You’ve probably seen a replica of Tama if you’ve ever visited a restaurant or shop that has a cat figurine with one paw raised displayed on its counter.

And, for the record, I’m not as lazy as the owner of this blog would have you believe. I’d be happy to catch a mouse if I ever saw one inside the house. And if a samurai warlord was stuck in the rain, I’d invite him inside. The right opportunity just hasn’t presented itself yet.

But now, I’ll be ready when it does.

If you’re looking for other reviews of this book, here are three to consider. Of course, I can’t endorse them fully. They are written by humans, after all. But sometimes, a cat just has to work with what’s available.

• Evie Bookish.
• Quixotic Magpie.
• Aelia Reads.

Thanks, Vince!

Editor’s note: You can learn more about illustrator Yoshiko Jaeggi by visiting her website.
You can learn more about author Wendy Henrichs by visiting her website.

If Finn Hudson’s life had a soundtrack, it would probably include The Lovin’ Spoonful’s 1966 hit “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?”

Remember how it goes?

Did you ever have to finally decide?
Say yes to one and let the other one ride?
There’s so many changes and tears you must hide.
Did you ever have to finally decide?

Because for everything the Glee character has going for him — starting quarterback on the William McKinley High School football team, co-captain of the Glee Club, homecoming king candidate — his laid-back attitude tends to get him into trouble.

The most obvious example is with girls.

In season one, Finn dated Quinn and made eyes at Rachel. Then, he dated Rachel and looked longingly at Quinn. Then, he dated Quinn and gazed at Rachel. And in the last episode of season two, he kissed Rachel.

What’s odder still is that both Quinn and Rachel continued liking Finn in … um … that way, even when he dated the other one. Maybe it was because he said things to them like, “Just because I can’t be with you doesn’t mean I don’t believe in you.” And, as he was breaking up with Quinn, “I still love you.”

Dude … seriously.

So, if I were a librarian at William McKinley High School, I’d give Finn, who’s convincingly played by Cory Monteith, the book Struts and Frets by Jon Skovron (Amulet Books, 2009).

Why?

Because it’s about Sammy Bojar, a fatherless boy with a guitar who has to make some decisions.

Like, how to keep his struggling band together. How to survive school when he’s really only interested in music. What to do about a girl he likes in … um … that way and another girl who likes him and he might actually like, too. And what to do about his grandfather who’s no longer the warm, smart, supportive person he used to be and seems to be falling deeper and deeper into dementia.

And then, there’s what may be Sammy’s biggest worry. He knows he can play the guitar, and he’s happy with the original songs he’s written recently, but he worries that he doesn’t have enough confidence or charisma to be the lead singer for a band. I think Finn could relate to that fear, especially after his encounter with Jesse St. James last season.

I’d give Finn the book and ask him to read it all, paying special attention to the scene that starts on page 99 where Sammy realizes how he truly feels about Jen5, the scene that starts on page 221 where he talks about relationships with his best friend Rick, who’s gay, and page 273 when he realizes the difference between being in a band that doesn’t work and being in one that does.

Seeing how Sammy makes his decisions might help Finn make some important ones in his own life.

Like, how he wants to spend his senior year. What he wants to do after graduation. And where, if anywhere, Rachel and Quinn fit into his plans.

Another good thing about this book that makes it a GLEE-ful read is a playlist of songs that served as the soundtrack as Skovron wrote. Artists include Jane’s Addiction, The Pixies, Camper Van Beethoven, Mercury Rev and more.

If you’d like to see which books I’ve recommended to other Glee characters, they are:

• Finn Hudson – Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron.
• Sam Evans – Guitar Boy by MJ Auch.
• Quinn Fabray – Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.
• David Karofsky – Dairy Queen and The Off Season both by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
• Rachel Berry – Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin.
• Kurt Hummel – Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

Finding the right place to get your hair cut can be difficult.

Some salons are too expensive. Others aren’t open when you’re available. Still others have stylists who cut your hair too short or do whatever they want instead of what you asked for.

As you might imagine, finding a barber or beautician is even harder for monsters. Their stylist of choice has to work nights, not be squeamish and be able to handle everything from braiding live snakes (Hello, Medusa!) to polishing a skeleton’s skull.

Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligott (Walker Children’s Books, 2010) introduces readers to a young barber who is up for the challenges presented by his unconventional clientele.

It’s a warm-hearted book described by Publishers Weekly as, “a delightfully deadpan story” with a “distinctive combination of the freakish and the humdrum.”

Today’s guest reviewer doesn’t have to look too hard to find someone to cut his hair. But he was happy to read about the challenges faced by monsters who aren’t as naturally handsome as he is.

So let’s hear it for Brett! (And by the way … doesn’t his hair look tremendous?)

Our reviewer: Brett

Age: 5½

Things I like to do: Skateboard, draw and play Xbox

This book was about: Monsters getting hair cuts.

The best part was when: All the monsters hid.

I laughed when: Igor came to the door.

I was worried when: The skeleton came for a haircut.

I was surprised when: The lady had snake hair and the barber was braiding it.

This book taught me: Don’t go out of the house alone

Three words that best describe this book are: “Cool.” “Shamp-ewww.” “Customers.”

My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “Can you take a little off the top?”

Other kids reading this book should watch for: The full moon.

You should read this book because: It teaches you how to take care of monsters.

Thank you, Brett!

If you’d like to learn more about Matthew McElligott and his other books, visit his website. or read this interview.

As I watched much of Glee’s second season, I had one recurring thought.

“Sam Evans needs a haircut.”

Now before you think I’m out-of-touch or unhip, I have to say that, generally, I quite like longer hair on men.

But as the season progressed, Sam’s blond coiffure — that had been favorably compared to Justin Bieber’s famous hairdo in early episodes — got more and more unkempt.

Because several episodes also showed Sam in the background looking glum, I thought he might be mourning the fact that he had been nicknamed “Trouty Mouth” by his then-girlfriend Santana Lopez. She even wrote a song about the size of his mouth that made the normally easy-going Sam take a stand.

While Sam, who is portrayed by Chord Overstreet, does indeed have a large mouth, that’s certainly not the most interesting thing about him. And, in the last few episodes, Glee’s writers explained why he’d been looking a little run-down.

It turns out Sam’s father lost his job.

Then, after their house was repossessed, the family was living in a motel on the outskirts of Lima where Sam watched his younger brother and sister in the evenings while his parents looked for work.

To help his family out, Sam took a job delivering pizzas and had to pawn his guitar. He also borrowed clothes from Kurt and Finn.

So … if I were a librarian at William McKinley High School, I’d suggest that Sam read Guitar Boy by MJ Auch (Christy Ottaviano Books, 2010).

Why? It tells the story of another guitar-playing teen with family troubles.

Travis Tacey is 14 and lives in a rural mountain community. After his mother is injured in a car accident and is unable to return home, his father loses his job and falls apart. He throws Travis out of the house after the two argue, and forces Travis’s older sister to drop out of school and care for his younger brother and sister.

On his own without even a pair of shoes, Travis only has a hand-made guitar that’s been in his family for generations. He hopes he can support himself by singing and playing on street corners, but when his guitar is stolen he doesn’t know what to do next.

I’d suggest that Sam read the whole book, paying special attention to page 150 where Travis watches a guitar being made and page 224 where Travis solos on “Turkey in the Straw.”

I’d also recommend that Sam visit this website to read about how author MJ Auch watched her very own guitar being built from scratch, which inspired her to write this book. I’d even let him use the computer in the library because he probably doesn’t have access to one outside of school.

Things look hopeful for Travis and Sam …

I’d hope Sam would see that even though Travis’ situation is worse than his, Travis still has hope. He follows his love of music and helps get ready for a guitar-picking competition. There, he meets some like-minded people who help him get back on his feet and start reconnecting with his family.

And if Sam looks, he has reasons to hope, too. His friends chip in to get him his guitar back and encourage him to stay in Glee Club. They even come up with a “prom on a budget” plan so he can attend. And things start looking up even more in the last episode when it’s revealed he and Mercedes are dating.

And just so I don’t look shallow, I’d like to point out one thing.

As soon as filming for the second season of Glee was over, Chord Overstreet cut his hair. So he must have been getting sick of it, too. It will be interesting to see what Sam Evans looks like in Season Three if he comes back to McKinley High.

If you’d like to see which books I’ve recommended to other Glee characters, they are:

• Sam Evans – Guitar Boy by MJ Auch.
• Quinn Fabray – Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.
• David Karofsky – Dairy Queen and The Off Season both by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
• Rachel Berry – Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin.
• Kurt Hummel – Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

Summer days are perfect for some funny, sunny reading — like the light-hearted lunch lady graphic novel series by Jarrett Krosoczka.

This six-book series for ages 8 to 12 features a lunch lady who solves mysteries and fights crime when she’s not serving sloppy joes. She’s often assisted by her sidekick, Betty, and a group of kids known as the Breakfast Bunch.

In Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown. (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010) the lunch lady and her helpers conveniently turn up at the same summer camp and — as you might expect — hilarity ensues.

Jarrett Krosoczka writes and illustrates the entire series, which is known for its quick pacing, humor and its two-color “loopy and energetic” art. (At least, that’s how the School Library Journal describes it.)

Today’s guest reviewer, Faith, was happy to spend part of her summer with this book, and now she’s here to share her thoughts. So take it away, Faith!

Our reviewer: Faith.

Age: Almost 8.

Things I like to do: Play checkers, text, and swim.

This book was about: A summer camp mystery where the kids help Lunch Lady capture a slime monster that lives in the pond.

The best part was when: The Lunch Lady wears her underwater mixer-propulsion backpack.

I laughed when: Ben found out who his date was … LOL.

I was worried when: Slime monster smashed Ben’s guitar.

I was surprised when: The kids had water balloons filled with mud and water guns filled with rotten eggs.

This book taught me: Monsters are not real.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Groovy.” “Slimy.” “Sneaky.”

My favorite line or phrase in this book is: “Let’s get our groovy grooves on!”

Other kids reading this book should watch for: Brown slime!

You should read this book because: The Lunch Lady has lots of cool gadgets.

Thanks, Faith!

And if you need another reason to check out this book, it won a Children’s Choice Award for Third to Fourth Grade Book of the Year. (Krosoczka also won a previous award in this category.)

And Booklist says, “Krosoczka’s inventive visual details, spot-on characterizations, and grade-school humor make this a standout graphic-novel series.”

To learn more about the lunch lady’s creator, visit his website. or read this interview.

Most kids go through a phase where they find certain words absolutely hilarious.

With my children, the word was “underwear.” There was a period of time where the mere mention of the word would make them dissolve into giggles. And they absolutely fell apart when anyone in our house folded a load of laundry.

The mother of today’s guest reviewer, Dharma, says her daughter is enthralled by the word “butt.” It just makes her laugh. And she looks for ways to work it into the conversation whenever possible.

So Dharma was the perfect reviewer for the newest picture book by Artie Bennett, The Butt Book (Bloomsbury USA, 2009).

This book, which is illustrated by Mike Lester, is a funny look at the backsides of everything from people to animals. It’s not an anatomy guide, so don’t expect to learn anything too technical. But do expect to laugh. The book’s purpose is purely playful.

Here’s a sample verse:

Some names for butts have foreign flair:
tuchas, keister, derriere!

In England where they call moms “mums,”
people call their buttocks “bums.”

So on that note, let’s welcome today’s guest reviewer!

Name: Dharma

Age: 6

I like: Reading books. Listening to someone read books to me. Riding my bike. Playing Yahtzee. And, I like strawberries and super-duper sweet corn.

This book was about: Butts that come in different sizes. Some are tall, some are low, some are big and some are small. And butts are useful, too.

The best part was when: I found out a teddy bear’s butt is filled with love.

I laughed when:I heard the book’s title.

I was surprised that: There was a book about butts. And how many different butts there can be.

This book taught me: Some butts go wide, some butts can be long and they are used to sit on the toilet.

Three words that best describe this book are: “Clever.” “Good.” “Nice.”

You should read this book because: You get to say “butt” a lot.

Thanks, Dharma!

Dharma’s mom also said that Dharma liked this book even better the second time they read it. Because by then she knew when the word “butt” was coming and was ready to gleefully yell it out.

Want to get to the bottom of butts? Visit Artie Bennett’s website. He has fun facts about butts plus lots of information about his other projects. (Artie, who provided a copy of his book for review, also has written a book of dinosaur puns and one called 101 Ways to Say Vomit.)

To learn more about Mike Lester, stop by his website.

If Artie and Mike are looking to create another book based on a word that makes kids giggle, Dharma suggests “kiss.” She thinks that whole concept is hilarious, too.

What words did YOU think were funny as a kid?

What words make kids you know giggle?