Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect—I’d love to hear from you!
That's one Hard Fox! A Stone Fox!
Immediate tension and simple language make a fast, easy read.
The plot always moves forward but generally without much elegance or plausibility. Many questions...
Color My World - Purple! Harold and the Purple Crayon
Bringing the bigness of the outside world under a child’s control. At the outset, the simple white background, cartoon child and purple line make this book seem slight, simple. Cute and childlike. But it’s ultimately a story of empowerment...
Sticky Subjects in Tar Beach
A bold opening paired with dramatic illustrations.
Poverty without self-pity.
The story opens with a dream, immediately pulling the child in via fantasy. It is true to her life, but seen as she would see it, without...
Beatrix Potter: Genius or Insane?: Jemima Puddle-Duck
Natural science, dramatic irony, ageless value? Ducks sit on a nest for 28 days; the gentleman is really a fox; the puppies eat Jemima’s eggs at the end! Unlike, say, Little Bear, the illustrations move...
Why I love Mr. Gumpy's Outing
Joyous illustrations and a surprising storyline make this a true classic.
I expected Mr. Gumpy to get, well, grumpy, since his name looks and sounds so like the word. I was waiting for him to tell one of the animals, “No! I’m all full!” but even when the overloaded boat...
Readers Who Know What They Like: Like Handel, by MT Anderson
A fun change from what one expects in a nonfiction book, Anderson’s text is witty and a mite sarcastic, with humorous illustrations.
The book tells an actual story, rather than miscellaneous facts, which not only makes for better retention, but makes...
What a Pest, Ramona
A smiling adult voice narrates the story. This could be patronizing, but rather is understanding and warm. Ramona didn’t mean to be a pest, she wanted to be good. The narrator has tremendous insight into a child’s psyche, using everyday, even mundane experiences that might seem (to an adult) out of proportion, but are...
Is Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney Worth a Fight?
You know you're a kiddie lit geek when you're arguing with an eight-year-old over who gets to read the library books first. St. Nick snagged this one, I sneaked it while he was playing his Nintendo DS, and he sneaked it back later. I, gracefully I think, allowed him to finish it...
Is there a Doctor in the House? Two by Seuss
Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat, 1957.
Singsong rhyme and controlled vocabulary are great for beginning readers. The story is incredibly imaginative, with the twist that the cat is the “child” who tears up the house and makes a mess, while the children are the...
No Holes Here: Louis Sachar
Most distinctive for its magnificent plotting, Holes is the adventure story of the unlikely hero, Stanley. He’s been falsely convicted of a crime and sent to a work camp for boys in the Texas desert. There he and the other boys dig holes, only he quickly begins to suspect...