Books with author Patricia Stone Martin

An unusual pet and one of Japan's traditional days are two factors that blend into the sort of story that supplements study units on foreign countries. ""The Greedy One"" is a cormorant. He is kept as a pet by Kenji, a young boy who lives in a rural village of Japan. When the cormorant got loose, he ate the fish that was being prepared for the celebration of Boys' Day which requires a carp kite on the flagpole of every home which has a son, as well as fish for the main meal. Because the fishermen's catches had been small, Kenji could not buy a replacement and he finally took The Greedy One out and used him as a fish retriever. This interesting fishing technique is thoroughly explored and explained as well as the rituals that attach to Boys' Day. The introduction of a blind boy, a friend of Kenji's, into the plot rather weakens it, momentarily dividing the interest and the emotional response without adding new facts to what could have been simply straightforward informational fiction. The illustrations are humorously drawn without cartoons and make excellent use of color.

Lulu Atlantis has a big problem: her new baby brother, Sam. With him in the picture, Mother certainly doesn’t need her around. Luckily, she has her best friend, Harry, a top-hat-wearing daddy longlegs spider to turn to. Over the course of four enchanting chapters, the two friends rescue a skunk stuck in a yogurt pot, encounter gangster bakers, seek out the Secret Ingredient to make Sam’s oatmeal edible, and contend with a monster (not to mention an evil cat named Princess Fancy).Through it all, Harry stands by Lulu Atlantis, his one and only True Blue Love, as she searches–quests!–for some True Blue Love of her own. With irresistible black-and-white chapter-opening art, plus an imaginative story with a classic feel, this is the perfect choice for young middle-grade readers.