Flashback Tuesday: A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech illustrated by Harry Blis

Here on the East coast school doesn't start for another few weeks but in other parts of the country it has already started.   I thought I would suggest one of my favorite books about school....

A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech and illustrated by Harry Bliss is a fun book that really illustrates how being over enthusiastic about something is not always a good thing.   I love how the principle isn't really a bad guy nor is he intentionally being mean....he just loves his school.   He loves it so much he wants it to open everyday even on Sundays and holidays.  It takes a little girl, who also loves school, to help him realize that he is going over board with his ideas.   Like I said this is a great read especially at the beginning of the school year when kids don't want to summer vacation to end.   It is a good and funny way to show them that it could worse and they could be going every day.   I also love Harry Bliss' illustrations.....the characters are so expressive.   A must have back to school title!

Finding Lincoln by Ann Malaspina illus by Colin Bootman

This past weekend was a bit busy.   Yesterday I attended and volunteered at the BCCL'S biennial BooksNJ event at the Paramus Public Library.   It was a great event that showcased lots of authors from the  New Jersey area.   I volunteered because my friend Alexa works there and said they might need help.   It was fun unpacking books and seeing titles that were new to me.    I remember thinking how I love the smell of new books and that I missed handling them.   As much as e-books may be the wave of the future that is one thing they can't give you ----a new book smell.  

I usually like to write about a reference or nonfiction book on Sunday's but I never got the chance to do a posting.  So today I thought I would recommend a book I saw at yesterday's festival.   I sat in on a Non-fiction panel for young readers that was very interesting.   One of the author's was Ann Malaspina....she showcased a few of her titles and talked about the difference between writing a nonfiction picture book versus a nonfiction young reader.   I picked today's book because I like the characters and the story and because it takes place in a library ---which I thought was an appropriate setting since the events of yesterday was all about libraries.  

Finding Lincoln by Ann Malaspina and illusrated beautifully by Colin Bootman takes place in Alabama in 1951.   It is the story of a boy who wants to find out more about Abraham Lincoln but is not allowed in the "whites only" library because he is African American.   The kind librarian helps him after hours to find the information he needs.   It is a sweetly told story that is not preachy. It is a great way to teach children about this time in our recent history that explains about segregation.   I was also drawn to this books for two other reasons....the main character is named Louis---like my Dad and it has to do with Abraham Lincoln---who my Mother loved.

Flashback Tuesday: Children Just Like Me by Anabel & Barnabas Kindersley

Today is International Children's Day I thought I would suggest a great book for kids to learn about children around the world.

Children Just Like Me by Anabel & Barnabas Kindersley which is published by DK Publishing is a really wonderful book .   It shows, through photographs, how children live around the world.   It is the kind of book that shows children how they are different and yet the same as each other.   There is a new documentary out in the theaters now called Babies which reminded me of this book.   This is a must have book for children to read and understand.

Reference Sunday: Explaining Oil Spills to Children

                                                        

All weekend long I watched the news about the huge oil spill near Louisiana.   This spill is considered an environmental disaster.   I children are probably asking questions about this....I know they are wondering what it could mean to them.   I thought I would list some books to help parents explain to their children the ramifications of this disaster.   I hope they help.


Oil Spill by Melvin Berger~ from Harpercollins Let's Read and Find Out Series of books.   These are great for preschoolers to about 2nd grade.   Easy to read and understand.  

Oil Spills: Damage, Recovery, and Prevention by Laurence Pringle ~ A Save the Earth book from William Morrow is for older children ages 9-12....great photos and explanations kids can understand.  Laurence Pringle is really great at this kind of thing. 

These are just two titles I think would help explain this current event~

Happy Arbor Day!

                                        


Today is Arbor Day~I remember this used to be such a big thing when I was a kid.   Now I only realized it because I was looking for something to write about.   It is still celebrated and there is a great website devoted to it ( http://www.arborday.org/)  but I don't think it gets the press it deserves.  I always liked the idea of planting a tree to commemorate an event or person, it is very uplifting.   I discovered two new books that I think would be perfect for today and would be a nice way to remember what this day stands for.

We Planted a Tree by Diane Muldrew illus by Bob Staake (2010 from Golden books).   This book shows people from different parts of the world planting trees.  It talks about the benefits trees provide us in a beautiful poetic way.   It is not preachy or boring~but very sweet.   I love the illustrations....it is said that it is a modern style by I feel like they are almost retro with an art deco sensibility.   I just love them.  

Arbor Day Square by Kathryn O. Galbraith illus by Cyd Moore  is the perfect book for today ( 2010 from Peachtree Publishers).  Usually books like that are specific to a theme can seem institutional and not something for everyday story time with your kids.   This is an exception. This sweet story about a girl and her father is simple and pointed but a joy to read.  The illustrations really evoke a time and place much more simpler than today.  

The Penderwicks On Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall

A few years ago I read a wonderful book that made me feel nostalgic for my childhood.  The Penderwicks: a Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall reminded me of books I read as a kid.   I remember thinking that it was a truly timeless story that really didn't speak of any particular time, except for the the occasional passing reference to a computer or TV or something like that.   It is the kind of story that is like comfort food....it instantly makes you feel better.

I knew that Ms Birdsall had written a sequel to this wonderful book but hadn't had a chance to read it.  I finally picked up a copy from the library and sat down to indulge in some "comfort" time.

The Penderwicks On Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall is just as wonderful as it's predecessor, although a bit more predictable.   Not that predictable is bad, because when it comes to comfort we need that predictablitiy.   It really is a sweet story that needed to be told because it was nice to get some background on this really sweet family.   So if you know any child who needs a little whimsy and comfort with some fun tossed in....this is the book for them.   It is a young reader but would also make a good "chapter" a night for a younger child.   A must read~

Miss Brooks Loves Books (And I Don't) by Barbara Bottner Illus Michael Emberley

Normally I am not one to like a book that panders to teachers and librarian~~I can be a bit jaded that way.  But I can always make an exception.   When I first saw this book on the shelf I thought to myself  "well there is a teacher book"----but was I surprised ~~I loved it!   I couldn't help laughing over the most wonderful of characters.   Missy is like so many children I know, nothing you can say or do will change their mind.   The expressions on her face are priceless as she trys to find a book she can love too.   Michael Emberley is a fantastic illustrator who really gets what it means to be a kid. 

Miss Brooks Loves Books (And I Don't) by Barbara Bottner and illus by Michael Emberley is the perfect book to read now because Sunday April 11th is the start of National Library Week.  As there has been so much talk about cuts to funding for libraries this is the perfect time to support one.   We also need to support our teachers~this book shows us what kinds of educators we need in our schools.   If schools lay off teachers than the teachers who are left will be so stressed that they cannot give an individual child the attention they may need to succeed.   This would be a shame....we need librarians and teachers plain and simple. 

Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham

 Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham is one of those books that makes me always want to know more.   It is the wonderful story of a little girl during 1930's Alabama and her families struggles.   It is a historically rich book that has a wonderful voice in the main character little Ludelphia Bennett.   While this is probably not a book that children would pick up on their own it is still a great book to get into a child's hands.   I see it mostly for use in the classroom to bring history alive.  There are so many ways a teacher can use this book --from the quilt making aspect or the history of the Red Cross being just a few threads of stories that can be found.   I also liked the idea of a child who has a disability (being blind in one eye) but not having that stop doing what she needs to do for her family.   A very special story.....