Librarian in Cute Shoes: Have You Read THE TROUBLEMAKER Yet?

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Have You Read THE TROUBLEMAKER Yet?

Castillo, Lauren. The Troublemaker. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. ISBN 054772991X.

One of the very best parts of summer for me is extended time for reading. Of course my reading turns into fun research for books I want to purchase for the library. So it's work/fun but really just fun.

One book I finally picked up was The Troublemaker by Lauren Castillo. I know I'm really late to this party, but I finally arrived! I think it's impossible to read everything, but I always want to try! Do you every feel badly for not being able to read everything? I do!

First, the story is a playful one. A little boy is bored, and his family members are all otherwise occupied. So he plays with his stuffed animal and causes a bit of mischief with his sister's toy. Mom and sister are not happy about this. Then it's the boy's turn to be the object of mischief, and there we have our story. I won't give away any more of the plot because there is a little surprise in the book. I really love when a book makes me think or turn back pages to figure things out.

The art is also worth MANY looks. The reds and greens draw you in and invite you into a world that's fun to visit. The family's home is in the woods, and it makes you think of a great summer by the lake. Soil and water are drawn/painted texturally and perfectly. There is a tomato plant that's part of the story, and tomatoes are the objects of the endpapers. I love endpapers! There are rosy cheeks, long shadows, forest greens, lovely stripes, wispy moons, and playful eyes. There are pages in black and white making you think, trees framing pages, and a two-page spread of nightfall. So much to dig into here!

I can see me using this in the library with stuffed animals as props. And there will be lots of drawing, too.

I'm so glad to have this one in my collection, and I can't wait to share it with readers in the fall. Also, be sure to look out for Lauren Castillo's next book Nana in the City (release date Sept. 2, 2014). Check out her website here.