Fun Book of the Day: Summerland by Michael Chabon

Since we are in the waining days of summer (as summer hasn't officially ended yet) I thought I would write about one of my favorite fantasy books.

Michael Chabon, the adult author of such great books like The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, & Wonder Boys has written this great book for young readers. Although I dare say adults will like this book also.

Summerland is a place I would love experience, a corner of the world where it never rains and is always summer and beautiful. Of course for it to be that way there needs to be a little magic, which I think we all need once in a while.

It is the story of heroes and what makes them, it has fairies, giants, goblins and magic; the prerequisite for any fantasy novel. But most of all it has heart with a little bit of faith thrown in. More than magic we need faith in our lives too! This is a wonderful book that shouldn't be missed!

Happy Grandparents Day!

Today is National Grandparents Day! I have always wished I knew my grandparents. Happily my Mother told me such vivid stories about her parents especially her mother that I feel like I knew her myself. The only grandparent I remember is my Dad's mother, she was a little lady who didn't speak English very well but I remember her hugs and her kisses. To a child that is enough. She was a sweet lady.

Today Grandparents seem much younger, they do more with their grandkids which is a wonderful thing. So in order to honor all the Grandparents out there I am giving a list of great books for them to read to their grandchildren! ~

Listed in no particular order:

What Grandma's Do Best What Grandpa's Do Best by Laura Numeroff

Grandma & Me by Karen Katz

Grandpa & Me by Karen Katz

Grandma's are for Giving Tickles by Harriet Ziefert

Grandpa's are for Finding Worms by Harriet Ziefert

The Grandpa Book by Todd Parr

The Grandma Book by Todd Parr

Here are two favorite books of mine that talk about grandparents!

Pat the Puppy by Edith Kunhardt~I love this take on Pat the Bunny because the grandparents are not a stereotype--Grandma goes running and Grandpa bakes brownies...fun little book!

I have also loved Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs by Tomie DePaola, such a sweet and warm story that is lovely to read~

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

Today marks 8 years since the 9/11 attacks. I was in NYC that day working and saw the towers fall. The Twin Towers were always a reminder of how awsome and big NYC is. I remember the towers going up and passing them in a car as a child and being a bit scared of their height. They were two beacons in a city that can get confusing....always there to know what direction I was going. Now that that they are gone it is like there is a hole that cannot be filled.....

I thought I would honor today by suggesting a Caldecott Medal book that celebrates the towers in their heydey....so that we can never forget.

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein tells the true story of a Frenchman, Phillipe Petit, who in August 1974 planned an illegal walk on a tightrope between the Twin Towers. The fact that he was able to do this is amazing. This book with its beautiful illustrations gives great perspective from high atop the towers and what viewers saw below. This is a wonderful book to help us remember.....

Scanimations: Waddle! by Rufus Butler Seder

Awhile ago I was going through some really old boxes in my basement and found Christmas cards from when my parents first got married. These cards were from the 1950's. Some were corny and very dated. One card caught my eye. It was a card that had a christmas scene that moved when you opened it. I thought to myself I have seen this before and then I realized it was in this great book called Gallop! by Rufus Butler Seder. Now I don't think he copied the older technology but I thought it was interesting that a card from about 50 years ago would be so similar to something truly new and innovative.

His new book Waddle! is an animal Scanimations book.....this time he adds color; so the pig is pink and the snake is yellow....there is a great surpise at the end! I don't like to give spoilers. This is a really great book for all inquisitive children~even some adults! A pleasure to behold.

Mr Seder is also an incredible artist whose murals create wonder around the world.

Oh and check out Al Gallop! ~ the original just came out in a spanish version!

Book Commentary: A Book vs Technology

I recently read disturbing news that a prep school in Massachusetts is getting rid of it's library----literally! The headmaster at Cushing Academy, James Tracy, is quoted as saying that "When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books."

What a statement, he insists that he is still encourging reading but that reading now will take a new form. Does this mean there will be no text books in his classrooms? Do students even need to go to class anymore? We have all seen the advertisements for going to college online well maybe his whole school can go class via a computer screen. I know that sounds sarcastic but in many ways he is not making sense. Yes we are going towards more technology in our lives, this blog is a testament to that fact, but that does not mean we should give up everything all at once. Some things in life need to be more gradual. We always teach children that to understand our future we need to understand our past. How can we understand our past if we just get rid of it?

Mr Tracy is going about teaching the wrong way. He is teaching all or nothing instead of compromise. Why get rid of all the books? Why not save a corner of the room for a traditional library so that students can have a sense of what a library is. That sometimes perusing a bookshelf can be more satisfying than surfing the net.

As for those "archaic scrolls"---they are considered treasures today!

Flashback Tuesday: The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Caught an interview with the actor Matt Damon yesterday while he is at the Venice Film Festival premiering a new movie. I have always wanted to go to Venice which reminded me of one of my favorite books in recent years.

So in honor of the Venice Film Festival taking place this week I am doing a flashback title, The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. This is great book not just for young readers but for adults too!

This is the story of two brothers on the run in Venice and their adventures with a ragtag group and the mystery surrounding them. Cornelia Funke really gives the reader a sense of Venice and all its beauty and wonder. Anyone who reads it is totally transported to another world!

Fun Book of the Day: Wag by Patrick McDonnell

A few years ago I had the opportunity to meet the creator of the syndicated comic strip Mutts, Patrick McDonnell, at a lunch for one of his new books. He is truly one of the nicest people around. I was impressed that he was not impressed by his success. He was humble and sweet. I love his books, they express the feelings of how we should be in life. That life should be simple and reminds us that it is ok to be happy with very little. It is actually that concept that is brought forth in his new book called WAG!.

Wag! tells the story of Earl the dog and how he wags his tail when he eats, gets his belly rubbed even going for a walk. Mooch realizes that Earl wagging his tail equals 'love"....a really sweet story .

As I said before I love Patrick McDonnell books, one of his earlier books that is great for everyone is his book The Gift of Nothing, which is the perfect gift for the person who has everything.