Kids like ice cream just as much as adults! With that in mind, I set out to read a few books this summer with one topic in common... you guessed it, ice cream. The books that were based around this summer-time treat were mostly targeted to ages 6-9 years old. Below you will find six books all read by yours truly. One of the reasons I am reporting these reviews is so that as adults, you are informed as to what your child is really reading about. I often wonder when buying children's books if the message I would like to send to the child is reinforced or under minded in the book. I would never want to give a child a book that might contradict the values I have. I didn't run into any issues while reading these books. I invite you to read the comments below, buy a book and give it to a child because as we all grew up hearing "Reading is Fundamental."
Babe Ruth and the Ice Cream Mess
Childhood of Famous Americans Series
Written by Dan Gutman
Aladdin Paperbacks ISBN 0-689-85529-X
This Level Two "Ready-to-Read" largely illustrated book is 31 pages. This book depicts a day in the life of young Babe Ruth as he plays ball in the streets of Baltimore, Maryland. We pick up where George Ruth and his buddies are playing some street baseball. George breaks a window and the boys all flee. George runs to his Dad's restaurant for cover only to find no one around. He spots a dollar bill on the counter and takes it when no one's looking. He uses the dollar to buy his friends ice cream, a real treat in the working class town and gets confronted by his father about taking the dollar. After confessing, George's father is upset and George is seen running out the door. This is the last page of the story. On the back page there is a timeline that starts with what happened after that summer day playing ball. This is a very different kind of book that focuses on a short time span in a Famous American's life. It does not attempt to finish the American's life story; it just give a taste of what happened in their childhood.
There is a moral set forth by Mrs. Ruth when she responds to George, "Everybody likes you, George. But if you buy them ice cream so they will like you, you will never know if it's you they like or the ice cream." You go, Mrs. Ruth! This book is geared for ages 5-7 depending on the child's reading ability. I believe this book will hold the interest of those interested in baseball and those who don't know Babe Ruth from Babe the Blue Ox.
The Chocolate Sundae Mystery
The Boxcar Children Series, #46
Written by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Albert Whitman & Company ISBN 0-8075-1145-5
The Boxcar Children series is a Reading Level Three (RL3) book. This particular story in the series has 120 pages of medium-large type. In this book, we follow Jessie, Violet, Henry and Benny Alden back and forth through the streets of Greenfield looking for clues to solve the latest mystery. This time, the kids are trying to save their favorite stomping grounds; The Shoppe.
The Shoppe is a well-known and loved lunch counter/ice cream shop that the whole community adores. When The Shoppe is taken over by a new owner, many mysterious things start to happen; missing dishes, missing ice cream and whipped cream left out to spoil. It appears as though someone is trying to sabotage The Shoppe and the Boxcar Children are out to find out who is responsible!
This book reads fast and I am sure it will peak the interest of many kids. Who doesn't like a mystery? However, one thing is inconsistent and I am sure it is something only an adult would pick up. These kids (ages 8-14) all get a job at The Shoppe to try and catch the villain, but the author mentions that the cherry trees are in full bloom. The setting is in New England and these kids would be in school during that time. I am not sure how they would have time to work every day from nine in the morning to six at night. Overall the Alden's seem nosey, but hey, I guess there would never be a mystery solved if someone weren't a little nosey.
Ghouls Don't Scoop Ice Cream
The Bailey School Kids Series, #31
Written by Debbie Dadey & Marcia Thornton Jones
Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 0-590-25819-2
The cover of this book makes you want to read this short book by Scholastic. The ice cream clerk scooping ice cream into a blender looks creepy and might be on the verge of scaring a light weight third-grader (RL3). The Bailey School Kids: Eddie, Howie, Liza and Melody are so sure that there is something strange about the new ice cream clerk. She is slow speaking and mono-toned. She makes herself ice cream desserts with blood red syrup of which she slurps until the syrup runs down her face. Her name is Scout. So what's she scouting?
Well the kids have been determined that their teacher is a vampire all along and that Mrs. Jeepers and Scout must be in cahoots with each other to turn the whole town of Bailey City into a vampire haven. When Scout finds out the Eddie has the information she needs to complete her job, the kids know that they are going to be stalked until Eddie is forced to tell her what she wants to know. This is until Howie (the brains of the group) figures out a way to beat Scout at her own game.
This chapter book is 66 pages and will keep the attention of any child who loves a mystery. The chapters are short and the book is illustrated nicely. There are many full page pictures that help tell the story and give visuals of all the characters.
The Case of the Sundae Surprise
The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley
Written by Melinda Metz
Parachute Press ISBN 0-06-009332-3
The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley is a series written in the first person. In this particular book, Mary-Kate is the person telling the story about her and her twin sister solving the latest mystery. There is no indication as to what age group this book targets, but if I were to guess, I would say Grades 2-3.
As most books designated for this audience, this is a chapter book. There are no illustrations except for a card stock souvenir tear out of the twins and their dog Clue. The story picks up with Mary-Kate and Ashley creating their own ice cream flavor using a secret ingredient to win a contest at the new local ice cream shop. If they win, they get free ice cream for a year. When the two help clean up after the contest, their finished ice cream and their recipe are stolen. Using their detective skills they solve the mystery in time to make another batch of ice cream to enter the contest.
The first person writing was different. It was refreshing. I have to admit that I thought the writing spelled everything out and left nothing un-explained to the reader. For example a character would say a word and then someone would say what the definition of the word was. In many books you can figure out what the word means if the author hides the meaning in the context clues. If you can't figure the word out, look it up in the dictionary. Otherwise, this book was interesting. It's no wonder why the Mary-Kate and Ashley brand is so popular; the back 15 pages are advertisements for their other merchandise.
The Ice Cream Scoop
The Nancy Drew Notebooks, #6
Written by Carolyn Keene
Aladdin Paperbacks ISBN 0-671-87950-2
Never a Nancy Drew reader, I would assume that the Nancy Drew Notebooks line is a shorter story aimed at a younger audience. The age range on the book is 6-9 years old. The story reminded me a lot of the Boxcar Book The Chocolate Sundae Mystery. Again we have two competing ice cream shops where one is having a problem. Again we have detectives who work feverishly to solve problems, unsolicited by the store owners.
I do have to say that out of the five books read to this point is that this is the most educational. There is an explanation on what ingredients go into fresh ice cream and further information on how it is made; step by step.
Nancy, Bess and George (Georgia) are assigned a science project. They are to report on a favorite food of theirs; explain what was in it, how it was made and the nutritional value of the food (you can see how this would lend itself to be more than just a fictional novel). When the three friends pick the subject of ice cream, they didn't bank on a classmate joining their team... a boy! Mike continues to gross out the girls through the story but adds a funny dimension doing so.
This book is 74 pages long and is very thoughtfully written and lightly illustrated.
The Ice Cream Mystery
The Boxcar Children Series, #94
Written by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Albert Whitman & Company ISBN 0-8075-5535-5
The Alden's are back on track, solving the latest mystery in their town of Greenfield. The Ice Cream Barn is a local small business with original flavors as well as old standbys. Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny meet the newest member of The Ice Cream Barn; the granddaughter of the owner who is now a partner in the business. The granddaughter, Brianna, is drumming up business by reviving an old tradition of the town, the horse-drawn ice cream wagon.
Slowly, strange and hurtful things start happening to the business. Someone wants this company to go under! Missing flyers throughout town, cruel notes in the shop's comment box and a report to the police that the horse is being mistreated are all mounting concerns until the last straw; the horse is stolen! There are many suspects and the Alden's make it their business to find who the perpetrator is.
This book parallels some of the main wrong doings in a few of the other books read above. I recall reading about "a fake phoned in order" and "someone trying to hurt business by defacing property" in the above books reviewed. Eventually, justice prevails and the Alden's have another favorite place to get ice cream. (Note: The Shoppe is not mentioned in this book nor is the other ice cream shop in town. See The Chocolate Sundae Mystery.) This book is RL3 with 119 pages and a few illustrations.
These six children's books were donated to Ruckersville Elementary School in Ruckersville, Virginia.