Richie's Picks: SOCKSQUATCH by Frank W. Dormer, Henry Holt, September
2010, 32p., ISBN: 978-0-8050-8952-3
"Sock it to me
Sock it to me
Sock it to me
Sock it to me"
-- Aretha Franklin, "Respect"
"Flowers tremble. Trees quake. Socksquatch lumbers."
The other morning, while in Washington, D.C. for the American Library
Association convention, I had the pleasure of attending a breakfast
presentation hosted by my friends at Henry Holt. Editors and a number of
librarians
in attendance took turns giving presentations about many of the children's
and young adult books that Holt will be publishing for the fall season.
I am sure that many of the books presented are quite wonderful; I will be
taking a look at them in the coming months.
Leaving the breakfast, I was a bit perplexed by something; but I realized
this morning that what I first considered a bewildering oversight (not
presenting this book) was merely my failure to recognize that I was the only
third grade boy in attendance at that breakfast, and that it is me and my
Captain Underpants comrades who will find SOCKSQUATCH by Frank W. Dormer to be
one of the crowning achievements of the entire Fall 2010 output of
children's publishing in America.
"Socksquatch searches. 'Got sock? Foot cold."
I do wish that I knew the name and email address of the lady librarian I
almost knocked over in my haste at the end of the presentations when it was
announced that we could help ourselves to the advance reader's copies
displayed in a corner of the room. I would love to apologize to her. But
having already read it several times, there was no way in hell I was going to
let someone beat me to that one precious advance copy of SOCKSQUATCH.
SOCKSQUATCH is a sad, sad picture book story with a happy ending about a
monster with a cold foot.
"S-O-O-O-C-K"
After failing to get what he needs from the werewolf named Wayne (who only
has fur); and after tripping over the sock that is much too long which he
acquires from the guy with the long green head named Frank; Socksquatch is
in tears. His plaintive cry is heard by a mummy named Martin who just so
happens to have a damsel under his arm. Fortunately for Socksquatch, the
damsel is delighted to share one of her socks with him and -- for the moment
-- the world is a happy place.
Now, if only I could get them to send me a little Socksquatch puppet, I'd
be set, too...
(BTW, SOCKSQUATCH would be a great book for introducing young students to
a book's copyright page. It is there that we find that this book is
dedicated "to SOCKRATEEZ, finder of lost socks.")
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks _http://richiespicks.com_ (http://richiespicks.com/)
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator _http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_school_lit/_
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FTC NOTICE: Richie receives free books from lots of publishers who hope he
will Pick their books. You can figure that any review was written after
reading and dog-earring a free copy received. Richie retains these review
copies for his rereading pleasure and for use in his booktalks at schools
and libraries.
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