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By: Carolyn Hart,
on 7/22/2016
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First Day of School Jitters? Try Splat the Cat | Storytime Standouts
Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton
Picture book about starting school published by Harper Collins Publishers
There’s no doubt about it, going to school for the very first time can be nerve-wracking. It is no wonder that Splat is wide awake bright and early.
When mom opens his bedroom door, his first instinct is to pull the covers over his head. When that doesn’t work, Splat tries all sorts of tactics to delay leaving for school. He can’t find socks and his hair is a mess. One thing he knows for sure, having a friend in his lunchbox is certain to help. Splat pops Seymour the Mouse into his lunchbox and sets out to meet his new teacher and classmates.
Mrs. Wimpydimple and Splat’s new classmates are very welcoming and soon Splat is full of questions. He is especially curious to know why cats chase mice! (A definite opportunity to introduce the concept of foreshadowing) When it is finally lunchtime, Splat opens his lunchbox and his small rodent friend, Seymour is suddenly the centre of attention – and not in a good way. Splat’s new classmates do exactly what readers will predict – the chase is on!
Engaging, playful illustrations provide many details for young children to notice and enjoy. A mostly grey and black color palette is highlighted with vibrant yellow and red details that pop off the page. Those who are able to read will love the signs in the storefront windows and Mrs. Wimpydimple’s blackboard illustrations.
Harper Collins has some terrific Splat the Cat printables for children to enjoy.
Splat the Cat at Amazon.com
Splat the Cat at Amazon.ca
Storytime Standouts - Raising Children Who Love to Read
Welcome to Weekend Links! Is summer whizzing by or what?? Reading is always an important part of our children’s lives no matter what time of year it is. Here are some great booklist to help everyone squeeze out the last drops of summer:
Looking for some books to help prepare kids for starting a new school year? Here are our Favorite Children’s Books for Back to School from Buggy and Buddy.
August 2nd - also known as International Friendship Day. How will YOU celebrate? Here are 8 Books to Celebrate International Friendship Day from Lee and Low.
Why Picture Books – 5 Reasons Why They Belong in Every Classroom http://wp.me/p3Lwy8-Rh via @pernilleripp
New books examine Hurricane Katrina’s immediate and lasting effects on the Gulf Coast. After the Storm: Hurricane Katrina 10th Anniversary at Publisher’s Weekly
Books that Celebrate the Bond Between Mothers and Sons and Brain Power Boy.
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“End of Summer??!!” I hear you wringing your hands and gasping in dismay from here.
Yes, I know it’s hard to believe that those words could even be coming from my lips, but the truth of the matter is that school starts here in Maryville, TN next week already. Vacations have been achieved, many travel miles have been logged and I feel the lazy days of summer beginning to wind down. So as things come to a close and thoughts begin to turn to the upcoming school year for many families, my focus is shifting to books and activities that will take us into (and through) the colder months ahead.
Instead of being sad to see summer go, I choose to Celebrate! And what better way to do it than with an End of Summer Audrey Press Book Sale. For two weeks only readers can get a great deal on two of my most popular books. But don’t delay; this super special sale ends August 14, 2015!
First book on sale is the extremely popular Waldorf Homeschool Handbook: The Simple Step-by-Step guide to creating a Waldorf-inspired #homeschool. And for a limited time, this best-selling book by Donna Ashton, The Waldorf #Homeschool Handbook is now only $17.95 until August 14th, 2015 !
Enjoy more month-by-month activities based on the classic children’s tale, The Secret Garden! A Year in the Secret Garden is a delightful children’s book with over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together. AND, it’s on sale until August 14th ! Grab your copy ASAP and “meet me in the garden!”
Two great children’s books-Your choice, $17.95 each!
***
The post WEEKEND LINKS- Books that Help Kids Enjoy the Last bit of Summer appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
It’s time for Weekend Links! This is my chance to share the best-of-the-best in regards to bookish fun and resources that I have encountered over the course of the week.
Oh my! Can you believe it is almost August already? Summer is slipping by but it’s my hope that all families continue to get outside, experience the world and keep up on their summer reading until that first school bells rings. Speaking of summer adventures and reading, I spotted this on facebook. What a fabulous idea! I gathered a few more for you to enjoy as well. Happy reading!
This last week I was in the lovely state of California and had the chance to enjoy the mighty redwoods. We are so inspired by these incredible trees. They are the oldest, tallest trees on the planet. Some of them are 1000 years old. It’s been a huge challenge to save these glorious trees from the blade of the lumber companies. Muir woods it a save haven for the redwoods. It’s our hope that our booklist will inspire you as well to make a trip to visit these ancient giants and become active in saving them for future generations.
Dance can take so many shapes is a universal language across the globe. My friend Mia at PragmaticMom has a wonderful blog post and booklist on Diversity Dance Picture Books.
The Logonauts has More Great Picture Books about Ramadan and Muslim
I know this is on the minds of MANY parents–Our Favorite Children’s Books for Back to School
World Travel from you Couch? Yes, please! Books that Take Kids Around the World
Global STEM Books for Elementary Students – via All Donkey Monkey
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Discover the joys of delving into this timeless children’s literature classic and see the Secret Garden through new eyes and a modern twist!
Kids and nature go hand-and-hand and enjoying the bounty that the great outdoors brings is not just a “summer thing.” The newest book from children’s book authors Valarie Budayr and Marilyn Scott-Waters teaches families everywhere to enjoy not only the great outdoors with month-by-month activities, but to jump deeper into the classic children’s tale, The Secret Garden! A Year in the Secret Garden is a delightful children’s book with over 120 pages, with 150 original color illustrations and 48 activities for your family and friends to enjoy, learn, discover and play with together. Grab your copy ASAP and “meet me in the garden!” More details HERE!
The post Weekend Links: A Summer of Fun, Travel and Reading appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
It’s time for Weekend Links! Here are the best and the brightest goodies I have found in my weekly internet travels. Enjoy!
Puerto Rican Food and Culture-Multicultural Kids Blog
Storytime Ideas: Mo Willems’ Books at Growing Book by Book
Make a Mud Pie Kit from Recyclables – Kids Activities Blog
Cimarrona: YA Novel of A Young Woman Freedom Fighter in Nineteenth Century Cuba – at All Done Monkey
BACK TO SCHOOL is LOOMING. How about some Books About Starting Kindergarten from Coffee Cups and Crayons.
In case you missed it, last week we had two wonderful guest bloggers stop by JIAB and share some multicultural books and activities!
If you were Me and Lived in…by Carole P. Roman {Guest Post from Squishable Baby}
Discovering The Cree Culture in America-Wild Berries by Julia Flett Review & Activity! (Guest Post from Felicia at Stanley and Katrina)
What great links did you discover this weekend.
The post Weekend Links: Fun With Food and other Summer Exploits for Kids! appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
 |
| from Elise Primavera's Louise the Big Cheese |
Summer's Out. School's In.
The days of sleeping late and
sort of reading are over.
It's time to set alarms and use those brains. Yay!
OK, so maybe the kids aren't that rah-rah -- not yet. If your kids are like ours, they're a little sleepy and a little anxious.
So this year, I've selected books to pep them up. The idea is to find books that excite them about school and build up their confidence in learning.
I've tried to anticipate some of needs kids have at one grade or another, whether it's to learn to read, get math to stick or find a friend to sit with.
So this year, I've created 12 themes that speak to kids. Among them: "I Get It!" (books that simplify the complex stuff), "Log It" (books to help with reading logs) and "Go Boys Go!" (books to get boys reading more).
Each of the themes (which are also the titles of the posts) appear below as live links, but you can also scroll down the main page to read posts or jump around.
Most of the books are new this year; a few aren't out just yet, but I've put their release dates in bold near the title so you know when to look for them.
Finally, relax and enjoy. And a toast: here's to all of our kids moving upward and onward with a skip and smile.
3. I Can Read! Three books new readers will love, whether they're raring to read or reluctant to
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By: Jenny Miller,
on 9/5/2011
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Help kids look at school from the funny side in the first two picture books and walk to school in wonder in the last.
Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break If You Want to Survive the School Bus, by John Grandits, illustrated by Michael Allen Austin,
Clarion, $16.99, ages 4-8, 32 pages. Kyle has no choice but to gulp down his worries and climb up the school bus. It's his first time on one and he's going to have face it alone, now that his big brother, James, is walking to middle school. Lucky thing James has armed Kyle with a list of dos and don'ts and some cheeky advice, "Just think of what I'd do and try to act like me." But when Kyle accidentally breaks every rule his brother gave him, including talking to a bully, he learns the most important lesson of all: never, absolutely never pay attention to your big brother's rules for the bus. Here's a fun, empowering story to inspire your child to skip up the steps of the bus (and maybe even sit in the first row).
Louise the Big Cheese and the Back-To-School Smarty-Pants, by Elise Primavera, illustrated by Diane Goode,
A Paula Wiseman Book, $16.99, ages 5 and up, 40 pages. Louise wants to be a smarty pants like her big sister and get straight As. But with a taskmistress for a second grade teacher, it's not looking good. If only a gorilla would grab up her teacher and run away with her. Then one day it seems like her wish could come true. Her teacher is absent. But now the substitute is giving everyone in class an A and suddenly an A doesn't feel that special. On top of that, the substitute is letting Louise get away with sloppy work. Could it be that Louise likes to be pushed to do better -- and may actually miss her teacher? Here's a book that shows that it's how hard you try that counts. Don't miss the endpapers for a parade of famous smarty pants. (Uh, Madonna, what are you doing there?)
A Few Blocks, written and illustrated by Cybele Young,
Groundwood, $18.95, ages 4-8, 48 pages. Ferdie doesn't want to
By: Jenny Miller,
on 9/5/2011
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Here are three books about finding friends and fitting in:
The Gingerbread Man Loose in School, written by Laura Murray, illustrated by Mike Lowery, $16.99,
Putnam, ages 4-8, 32 pages. A gingerbread man hops off his cooling pan and races after the class that baked him in this bouncy tale about the importance of belonging. When the teacher calls, "Recess," no one grabs the gingerbread man, so he runs as fast as he can to catch up with the kids, only to get stuck to a ball, lose a toe and land inside a lunch bag. Will this zippy little cookie ever find his class and feel like one of the gang? After one read aloud, students will be clamoring to bake up their own class pet and fit him with Starlight Mint hat. Slipped into the back cover, a folded poster for your own smart cookie. This is a book that shows readers that feeling left and being left out aren't always the same. Sometimes you just have to catch up to classmates to realize they like you.
I'm Here, by Peter H. Reynolds,
Atheneum, $15.99, ages 4-8, 32 pages. A boy sits alone on a playground far from other children and feels like no one knows he's there. His sense of isolation is palpable, as if he were set apart and made invisible. "They are there. I am here," he says with a longing look their way. The children's playful voices are "splashes upon splashes of sound," but all the boy can hear is "Boom. Boom." He tries to assure himself that at least he knows he's there, even if the other children don't seem to. Then a gentle breeze pats his head, a tumbling leaf lands for a visit and piece of paper glides to him on a lazy stream of air, rocking this way and that, slowly down, before landing at his knee. "How did you find me?" the boy asks the paper, his eyes glistening. He knows a playground is not where a paper wants to be, so he folds it into an airplane and launches it into the air. Maybe now, the paper will get to where it wants to be -- and maybe, if he climbs aboard it, the boy will get there to. This sweet, touching book shows that when a child feels alone, making a little step forward can change everything.
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By: Jenny Miller,
on 9/5/2011
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Charm new words right out of your child with two clever readers and a picture book to spur them on.
Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking (Level 2), written and illustrated by Philippe Coudray,
Toon Books, $12.95, ages 4-8, 32 pages. In this adorable book of comic gags, a loopy bear looks at life from the far side. Benjamin Bear, a brown bear with a cute, saggy body, has an offbeat approach to problem-solving and is so comfortable in his own fur that he endears readers right away. In one strip, Benjamin is too nervous take a glider off a cliff so he promptly solves the problem by having a dog chase him off of it. In another, Benjamin happens upon a sliver of moon in the park and assumes that he must be hungry since he's skinny. So, he offers him fruit to make him
full. Here and there, a rabbit friend hops into a comic to bounce his humor off of or to keep him company. Every page is a new cartoon with four to seven panels. Some panels have conversation bubbles with short sentences and sound words; others are wordless, allowing for fast comprehension. Other great readers from the Toon library: Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner
The Big Non-NO by Geoffrey Hayes and the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor book Little Mouse by Jeff Smith.
Should I Share My Ice Cream? (An Elephant and Piggie book), written and illustrated by Mo Willems,
Hyperion, $8.99, ages 4-8, 64 pages. Elephant is giddy with anticipation because he just bought himself an ice cream cone from a sidewalk vendor. But now that he's realized that he didn't get any ice cream for his best friend Piggie, he's stumped about what to do. Should he share his "awesome, yummy, sweet, super, great, tasty, nice, cool" cone with Piggie? Hmm, that's a tough one, especially now that Elephant is ogling it and looping his trunk around the cone like a snug scarf. There are, after all, some really good reasons for not sharing, he tells himself, trying to sound convincing. Like the possibility that Piggie won't like this flavor and the fact that Piggie isn't even there right now! But just as Elephant is about dive in and eat it, tender thoughts of his friend sneak up on him and he freezes: Suppose Piggie is somewhere all alone feeling sad? OK, now Elephant just has to find her and give her some of his ice cream. But has he waited too long? Fifteen books into the series and Elephant and Piggie are as irresistible as ever. Coming Oct. 4:
Happy Pig Day!
By: Jenny Miller,
on 9/5/2011
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Four stories kids can relate to no matter what school or century they're in.
Two are by a master of school stories, one is by a newcomer who writes like she's written them for years and another is from an acclaimed writer-illustrator team.
Troublemaker, by Andrew Clements,
Atheneum, $16.99, ages 8-12, 160 pages, 2011. Clayton Hensley thinks the more trouble he gets into at school, the prouder his older brother Mitchell will be. After all, Mitchell was a big problem when he was in school and now he's even gone to jail (for mouthing off at judge). Clayton's sure his own latest infraction at school, drawing a picture of the principal as a jackass, will tickle Mitchell to no end. After all, it's as fearless as anything Mitchell ever did in school and it's clever too. But when Mitchell returns home after serving time, he doesn't sound like himself. Jail was scary, he says; he's done messing up and he's not going to let Clayton ruin his life either. He tells Clayton it's time to do things the smart way; he's even got a plan to do just that. But first Clayton's going to have to trust Mitchell. And by trust, that means change in ways Clayton never imagined. But can he? Will acting "goody-goody" be too much for Clayton? Will he be happy not goofing off? Clements has an amazing ability to make readers want to root for any character, no matter how wrongly they behave or how mean they act. From page 1, readers are drawn to Clayton, despite his smart-alecky disdain for others. And as he embarks on Mitchell's plan to reform his behavior, they cheer him on and even stand by him when he lapses. This is a book every principal should have stacked up in the office to hand out to kids who've lost their way. A joy to read, it's an empowering book for troubled kids, and eye-opening one for anyone who knows who they are but doesn't really know them.
Fear Itself (Book 2, Benjamin Pratt & the Keepers School), by Andrew Clements, illustrated by Adam Stower,
Atheneum, $14.99, ages 7-10, 240 pages, 2011. Benjamin Pratt and his friend Jill have just 24 days to stop a developer from ripping down their old seaside school to make way for a theme park. But with Jill getting discouraged about how to stop it and a new shifty-eyed janitor watching their every move, what chance do they have? After all, they are just kids. Well, be that as it may be, Ben isn't about to give up. He's a
By: Jenny Miller,
on 9/5/2011
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Two books and a game to turn your child into a storyteller -- maybe even get him to write down a story.
The Exquisite Corpse Adventure: A Progressive Story Game Played by 20 Celebrated Authors and Illustrators,
Candlewick, $17.99. Get ready to laugh yourself silly, and not just at this story but at all the famous writers who've wriggled in their seats and had a good-natured chuckle while writing it. In this waggish collaboration by 20 top talents in children's books, author Jon Scieszka sets up a wild scenario for a story, then asks fellow authors and illustrators to run with it. With each chapter, a new author-illustrator team picks up the story from where another team left it. As the teams wrangle with themes that are almost too silly to put together, they seem to be trying to get in a doozy of a cliff-hanger before their chapter ends. It's as if one team is teasing the next, "
Now what are you going to do?" Scieszka begins the story with a ticking time bomb (literally), a cliff-hanger that calls for a quick response, not only from the story's heroes but the authors who have to write the heroes out of immediate danger. Here's where the book starts: Two twins have just run away from the circus after receiving a mysterious birthday card from their parents, whom they thought were dead. In the letter, the parents urge twins Nancy and Joe, both 11, to run out into the world and look for clues that will lead them to parts of a top-secret robot, known as "The Exquisite Corpse." But as they get started, the twins find themselves on a train set to explode if it crosses a bridge just up ahead. Thanks to Katherine Patterson they do escape alive, only to learn in Kate DiCamillo's chapter that a clown from their circus set them up and he's juggling another bomb. By the time Susan Cooper takes over the story, the twins are being chased by a dancing pig. Could the circus they've run away from be trying to hunt them down? Originally published on the READ.gov LIbrary of Congress website, this hilarious experiment might just inspire your kids to start a progressive story of their own.
Tales from the Haunted House (Storyworld, Create a Story Kit), by John & Caitlin Matthews,
Templar Books, $9.99, 2011. With Halloween creeping closer, here's a terrific way to tap into your children's imagination: a kit for making up ghoulish stories.
Tale from the Haunted House is the fifth entry in a clever game series that gets kids to tell stories without any pressure to do so. Inside each kit is a deck of 28 cards, each with a mood-setting scene on one side and questions about possible plots on
By: Jenny Miller,
on 9/5/2011
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Don't Know Much About History? Your kids will after reading these! (And it won't be painful either.)
Americapedia: Taking the Dumb Out of Freedom, by Jodi Lynn Anderson, Daniel Ehrenhaft and Andisheh Nouraee,
Walker & Company, $24.99 (hdbk), $16.99 (pbk), 12 and up, 240 pages. A parody of the Pledge of Allegiance on the cover sums this one up: "One book, Under 300 Pages -- With Knowledge and Nonsense for All." But don't be mistaken. Though funny and clever, this primer ("citizen's manual") isn't messing around. By the time kids finish it, they'll have a basic grasp of U.S. civics, economics, foreign affairs, and the role of religion in politics;
and be up-to-date on Supreme Court rulings on issues from stem cell research to abortion. (They'll just be laughing as they get there.) The authors write in a cheeky fashion to keep things light, with lots of silly pictures and captions. There are pictures of baby monkeys in a section about economics and an image of deli sausages "linking" Hussein to Bin Laden in one about terrorism. This is a must for any student with "U.S. History" on their syllabus or who just wants to know what's been going on out there -- whether it's with the health care debate or the first Continental Congress. The idea: make it fun and they will learn -- and maybe even form their own opinions. "Pick Your Change!" the authors encourage at the end -- find an issue that speaks to you and decide what
you think.
Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea and Air, written by Stewart Ross, illustrated by Stephen Biesty,
Candlewick, $19.99, ages 9-12, 96 pages. Vivid stories and detailed cutaways make readers feel like they're explorers too in this artful history book. Readers learn about Pytheas who sailed the Arctic Circle without even a compass in 340 B.C., the Apollo 11 crew that landed on the moon in 1969 and 12 more amazing explorers from Marco Polo Sir Edmund Hillary. Every chapter features unfolding diagrams that show the workers and parts of vessels in ink and watercolor, all meticulously rendered. Readers see cross-sections of Mary Kingsley's African river steamer (everything from the wheel inside a paddle box to a guy stoking a firebox) and Auguste Piccard's gondola as it embarks on a voyage into the stratosphere. Biesty (illustrator of the acclaimed
Incredible Cross-Sections written by Richard Platt) combines technological detail and atmospheric drawing to bring readers into an explorer's experience. Readers get a sense of the dangers of the journey, and the explorer's fearlessness and fortitude. This one's for any child wishing they co
Simplify the tough stuff AND make it fun to learn with these four series or books.
Basher Basics and Science, created by Basher, written by Dan Green or Mary Budzik,
Kingfisher, $12.99-14.99 (hardbacks), $7.99-8.99 (paperbacks), ages 9-12, 64 pages. Get the scoop on algebra, grammar and more right from the source in Basher's hip reference series. In every book, terms speak on their own behalf, defining who they are and what they do. Take Function: "I'm an operator, a hustler, and a mathematical string puller. I work the numbers, taking one value and chaining it into another." Each has its own unique way of getting its message across. Listen to Square Root, a self-proclaimed scamp, the mathematical opposite of square. "I swing from my tail over a number to undo a Square's multiplication." Then with every definition comes a playful graphic: a plump, happy figure that acts out what a given term is. For instance, Heart loves a good workout (he pumps nonstop), so he wears a sweat band. He's also at the center of things, so in either hand, he holds arrow flags. One directs blood to the lungs to get more oxygen, the other sends it into the body for cells to lap it up. This is one of those series that can turn things around for a child and make it all make sense. There's even a folded poster in the back cover to pull a subject together. The series is now up to 9 books. Here are the latest:
Grammar:The Bill of Rights, Algebra & Geometry: Anything But Square!, Music: Hit the Right Note, and
Human Body: A Book With Guts. Then check out Basher's website
here for free games.
Feel the Force! (Super Science), written by Tom Adams, illustrations by Thomas Flintham,
Templar, $18.99, ages 7-11, 20 pages.
Released Sept. 13! Kids use forces of their own making to learn about the forces of physics in this wonderful interactive pop-up book. Readers pull, push, flip, turn and lift tabs to learn about air resistance, upthrust, pressure and more, and get to watch 3-D paper models rise off the page as they explore the roles of gravity, shadows and electricity. On a two-page spread about pressure, a mustachioed illusionist rises from the page on a bed on paper nails; then with the pull of a tab, readers re
By: Jenny Miller,
on 9/5/2011
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Encourage your children to run with an idea and see where it will take them!
The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, written and illustrated by Eric Carle,
Philomel, $17.99, ages 4-8, 32 pages, 2011.
Due out Oct. 4. From the beloved creator of
The Very Hungry Caterpillar comes a joyful celebration of artistic expression. Inspired by German painter Franz Marc, Carle's story depicts a boy painting animals in colors that don't occur in nature: a lion that's green, a polar bear that's black, a donkey with polka-dots and eventually a horse that's blue. The blue horse, like the one on the cover, is a tribute to Marc's famous and controversial 1911 work
Blue Horse I. Marc believed that color had emotional meaning and he wasn't afraid to use it in unconventional ways. And here, Carle beautifully echoes that idea, showing readers that they don't have to follow every rule of art: Embrace what you see in your imagination, he seems to say, and be true to yourself. Carle makes his point with such joie de vivre that readers will feel energized to get out there and paint just as their heart desires. Also encouraging, every picture in the book looks like a child could paint it: animal shapes are simple collages and fur looks as if it were textured with fingers or the hard ends of paintbrushes. Brilliantly simple, this one's a pat on the back to any young artist who yearns to do things differently.
Boy Wonders, written and illustrated by Calef Brown,
Atheneum, $16.99, ages 4-8, 40 pages, 2011. In this spirited, fun book, the creator of
Flamingos on the Roof captures a boy's eagerness to understand the world. He also gets readers excited about playing with words and asking questions too. Rhyming questions spill onto the page, as the boy makes leaps of logic and reasons through ideas in nonsensical ways. In the first spread, Brown zooms in on the boy's face staring back at readers: "Are you ever perplexed? " the boy asks with beseeching eyes. "Completely vexed? / Do you have questions? / Queries? / Odd Theories?" Well yes, you say to yourself, of course! And from there on, a stream of funny questions gushes out of the boy, suggesting how quickly ideas can spring into a curious mind. On one page the boy inquires, "Do paper plates / and two-by-fours / remember being trees?" On another, he asks a brain-twister. "If I, as the class clown, / am given a paper crown / as a trophy for being goofy, / have I, alas, / bee
By: Jenny Miller,
on 9/5/2011
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Need help filling nightly reading logs? Try these: Ten books kids will love and teachers will be thrilled they read. The first seven were just released; the last three are due out later this fall.
City of Orphans, by Avi, illustrated by Greg Ruth,
Atheneum, $16.99, ages 10-14, 368 pages. With the help of a homeless urchin and an eccentric lawyer, a 13-year-old newsboy scrambles to prove his sister innocent of a crime she didn't commit, in this exciting story set in the dangerous streets of New York in 1893. Maks Geless has just four days to clear his sister Emma of charges of stealing from the glamorous Waldorf Hotel, and free her from the notoriously harsh "Tomb" prison. But he'll have to watch his back. The Pug Ugly Gang is plotting to control newsies on the lower East Side and its ruthless leader has singled him out.
The Flint Heart, by Katherine Paterson and John Patterson, illustrated by John Rocco,
Candlewick, ages 7-12, 304 pages. Charles and sister Unity try to rescue their father from the dark influence of a Stone Age amulet with the help of enchanted creatures in this wry retelling of Eden Phillpott's 1910 fantasy. This charmer is written by the author of
The Bridge to Terabithia and her husband, and illustrated by the creator of
Moondust. Even before it was out, film makers were clamoring for screen rights (Bedrock Studios acquired them last spring and is teaming with a company run by the Patersons' son to write the screenplay).
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan Auxier,
Amulet, $16.95, ages 10 and up, 400 pages. A blind 10-year-old orphan schooled in a life of thievery steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher containing three pairs of magical eyes. When he tries the first pair, he's suddenly transported to a hidden island where he's given a quest: to rescue a people in need from the dangerous Vanished Kingdom. With the help of a loya
By: Jenny Miller,
on 9/5/2011
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This list is dedicated to all those boys who aren't sure they like to read -- but chances are just haven't found the right book.
Thriller (Volume 2 of Guys Read), edited by Jon Sciezka, with illustrations by Brett Helquist,
Walden Pond Press, $16.99, ages 8-12, 288 pages. Here's a book for any boy who likes to imagine himself tempting danger or getting out of a bind, but doesn't necessarily want to do any such thing. The latest in Sciezka's brilliant effort to tailor books to reluctant boy readers,
Thriller contains 10 bite-size stories (the longest is 42 pages) about gripping situations that readers don't find themselves in every day (but kind of wish they did -- kind of. ) And what's incredible is that every one is written by a leading children's authors of thrillers -- names you can almost recognize by the last name alone, such as Haddix, Horowitz and Patterson. The stories are about as different from each other as you can imagine in one book, but each one grips onto you and a few even toss you around. There's the one about a boy who gets thrown over the edge of a twelve-story building, another about a boy trying to rescue his dad from animal smugglers ("pet mafia") while being chased by a komodo dragon, and one about a dead boy who's haunting a house, but isn't half as scary as the thugs upstairs. Readers will wander in and out of lives that are fictional, but at times feel real, like the 14-year-old Somalian boy who gets thrown into a life of piracy after foreigners poison his family's fishing waters. If your boys like this, don't miss the first in the Guys Read series
Funny Business, short stories by humorous children's authors. For more great boy titles, check out Sciezka's Guys Read website
here.
3:15 Season One: Things That Go Bump In the Night, by Patrick Carman,
Scholastic, $12.99, ages 9-12, 176 pages. It may be a little early for terrifying tales -- Halloween is still almost two months away -- but this interactive book is worth getting right now. Why? Because it's about as boy friendly as a book can get. For one, It's a horror thriller, and for two, it encourages readers to get on the computer between chapters. The book is built around an exciting online concept that's based on the time 3:15. That time is significant by itself, but also for other reasons, according to the book's fictional narrator Paul Chandler. First, 3:15 a.m. is when things might go b
By: Jenny Miller,
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Pull in close, these two novels are about as sweet as they come. Both are about girls with big hearts who never give up no matter how tough life gets. Just the books to inspire girl readers to stand up for themselves and be proud of who they are.
R My Name is Rachel, by Patricia Reilly Giff,
Wendy Lamb, $15.99, pages. Try as she might, Rachel can't forget all the sadness that's befallen her family. Pop's lost his job at the bank, he's rail-thin from worry, and now he's got devastating news for Rachel, 12, and her sister Cassie, 10, and brother Joey, 11. They're moving away from the city to an old farm -- away from Miss Mitzi with her light-up-the-world smile. Miss Mitzi runs a floral shop and she's been a comfort to Rachel with her mother passed away. Rachel knows Miss Mitzi and Pop are smitten with each other, but Pop's too proud about money to invite her along, no matter how hard Rachel urges him to. The morning they leave, Rachel tries to be strong; she plays the "A My Name is Alice" game to herself because all she has to do is concentrate on the alphabet. She likes that there are so many words she can choose from. If only her family's choices felt more like that. With the Great Depression bearing down, it's like someone "opened a plug and everyone's money went down the drain." And when they arrive at the new farm, all run-down, things only get harder. A snow storm keeps Pop from getting the job that brought them there. The school is closed (a terrible, aching sight for Rachel who loves to soak up learning). She and Cassie can't seem to agree on anything. And now Pop has to go away to find work and there's no telling when he'll be back. It's up to Rachel to look over the farm, and Cassie and Joey, but then something horrible happens: Cassie runs away and all the rent money disappears. Could ferns crowding a stream by their house lead them all to the end of a rainbow? Told through Rachel's eyes and the letters she and Miss Mitzi write to each other, this sweet, sweet book leaves readers feeling like their hearts could float right out of their chests. I know I was gliding through the rest of my day after reading it.
The Trouble with May Amelia (the sequel to the Newbery Honor book
Our Only May Amelia), by Jennifer L. Holm,
Simon & Schuster, $15.99, ages 9-12, 224 pages. May Amelia Jackson may be the only girl in a family of seven boys, but she's got more "sisu" than any of them. That's the word her Finnish family and other immigrants living in a wilderness town along Washington's Nasel River in 1900 use to mean guts and courage. But the thing is, Pappa thinks she's downright stupid; he's always spitting mad
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Here are three picture books that will get kids thinking about real life like they never did before.
Dream Something Big: The Story of the Watts Towers by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Susan L. Roth,
Dial, $17.99, ages 5-8, 40 pages. 2011. An Italian immigrant puts Watts, California, on the map when he builds 17 towers of art in this magical true tale of what one person can accomplish. Narrated by a neighbor girl, the story tells of reclusive sculptor Sam (Simon) Rodia, who in 1921 began erecting a monument to the country that gave him freedom and inspired him to dream. It took Rodia ("Uncle Sam" to neighbors, though few ever knew him) 34 years to build these "candy-covered castles" on a modest triangular lot in Watts, a working-class neighborhood in South L.A. All 17 were was crafted by hand -- without drawings, plans or a single nail, bolt or ladder -- and mostly at night after work. Among them: six-story-high towers, fountains, flowers, birdbaths and a ship honoring Marco Polo. Rodia used rebar and wire mesh to build the structures, then attached a rainbow of tiles, pottery, sea shells and glass with cement. He'd chip the objects into triangles, believing them to be the strongest shapes. When done, Rodia inscribed his name and the words, "a village for the world," then abruptly left Watts, leaving a deed to the property to a neighbor. In a neighborhood known for one of the most severe riots in L.A. history, Watts Towers is a beacon of community, not to mention a historic landmark and now, a place kids can travel to without leaving their library. Roth's soft, textural collages richly suite the subject; at times photographs of the real towers seem indistinguishable from her art (a masterpiece of cloth, paper, photographed plates and shells, and string). Stunning to look at and lyrically told, this ode to a dreamer is sure to be a Caldecott contender.
The Mysteries of Angkor Watt: Exploring Cambodia's Ancient Temple (Traveling Photographer), written and photographed by Richard Sobol,
Candlewick, $17.99, ages 4-8, 48 pages, 2011. In this captivating travel book, a photographer follows his dream to visit the mysterious ruins of Angkor Watt and returns with an enchanting secret whispered in his ear. While on a trip to Cambodia in 2007, Sobol meets local children who offer to share their special place at the temple. They call it, the "doo nee soo," and they tell Sobol that few people know about, even though many walk past it. Over the next few weeks, Sobol climbs, crawls and meanders through the temple, waiting for a chance to meet up with the children. Then on hi
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
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Since many of the “Glee” stars will graduate next season (a new crop of characters will soon be introduced. TVLine reports that there will be two new mean girls named Sugar and Sheila, a linebacker named Bubba who will play Mercedes’... Read the rest of this post
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| (from "Swarm" in Laura Purdie Salas's Stampede!) |
If your kids are like ours, they're giddy to be back at school, but jittery about what to expect. There's so much for them to take in and as parents, we want to jump in and make everything go perfectly.
Of course, we have to let our kids feel out a lot of things for themselves. But a little nudge from us -- subtly done -- can go a long way to fuel their confidence and excitement for school.
One of my favorite things is to slip my kids books to ease them into new social situations and make a subject fun. So this fall I've selected 11 books below to help you help your kids feel bright-eyed and happy to learn.
