Reference Sunday: One Times Square by Joe McKendry

This is the time of year that always reminds me of my Dad.   He was a wonderful man who loved his family more than anything.    Even though I grew up in NJ he was born and raised in NYC.   He was the quintessential New Yorker. He not only grew up there but he worked there too.    When I was growing up the most fun I ever had was going to work with him.   I would hold his hand as we walked the streets of New York in awe of the sights and sounds around me.   For most of his working life his office was on 49th Street and Madison Ave this only changed at the end when his studio closed and he needed to find a new space to work.  Even when he worked on Madison Ave we would walk through Times Square to get to his office. I always held on real tight because back in those days the area wasn't as safe and nice as it is now.  As I mentioned he moved into a new space to work as a freelancer at the end of his career, this new office/studio was in the heart of Times Square.   I remember visiting him there and watching the streets below amazed at how many people passed by.   I would watch the giant screen at the top of the Times Square building and see where the ball was kept for New Years Eve.  Today whenever I walk through Times Square I always think of my Dad --- I could almost feel my hand in his.....

One Times Square written and illustrated by Joe McKendry brought back all the wonderful memories I have  of visiting New York.   One of my first real jobs was in Mid Town Manhattan and I would walk through Times Square every day.   My father had shown me all the short cuts to take.   I wish I had this book back then, it would have been wonderful to know the history of this iconic area of NYC.  I had no idea that this building is "One Times Square", it never dawned on me that it is called "Times Square" because the NY Times newspaper was published from there.   I also didn't know that back when it was built it was considered one of the tallest buildings in the world. Besides being well written and not just a dry history book the illustrations are wonderful.   Mr McKendry has created images that are nostalgic and new at the same time.   This isn't a stuffy history book but a fascinating story of one of the most well known places in the world.  While it is written for the middle grade reader it is definitely something I would give a grown up ---- especially if they love New York like I do.   It would make a great gift!

Flashback Tuesday: Flotsam written and illustrated by David Wiesner

This past week has been a trying one because of Hurricane Sandy.   I live in NJ and while I was lucky not to have any damage other friends and family were not.   On top of everything else my beloved Jersey Shore is in ruins.   I am sure we will recover and that rebuilding won't take too long.  

Flotsam written and illustrated by David Wiesner is a Caldecott winning book that is the perfect tribute to summer vacations down at the Shore.   When I first saw this book I thought it was amazing.  Even though it is a wordless book it "tells" a wonderfully magical tale of magic and discovery.   I loved it even more when I realized the images are of the Jersey Shore.   I was thrilled to see the LBI (Long Beach Island) beach tag in one of the images.   LBI has been my sole vacation spot for many years.   I love the ocean and the beaches --- to me there is nothing better to do than sit on the beach and read a book. David Wiesner talked about his summers on NJ beaches growing up in interviews when the book was first published---he is after all a native son.   I think this book is a great reminder of the magic of the ocean and thrill of simple discoveries.   Hopefully the New Jersey coastline will rebound even better than before so that future generations can uncover the magic  that is "the Shore"!

The Boo! Book by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer illustrated by Nicoletta Ceccoli

Autumn has officially arrived and Halloween is just around the corner.   I came across today's book and loved it immediately.   It is not necessarily a Halloween book and it really isn't scary but I like the sweetness of the story.

The Boo! Book by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer and illustrated beautifully by Nicoletta Ceccoli is a charming little story with illustrations that I love.   It is about a book that is haunted and the mischief that follows.  It has a  fun mixture of playful words and a surprise ending.  This is the kind of book to read with a child on blustery fall evening.  Perfect for bedtime since it really isn't scary at all.  A cozy kind of book that helps make imagination soar.   It is not a boisterous story but a mellow one even if it is about ghosts.   This is a classic storybook that will really can be read any time of the year.   A must have book for the bookshelf!

One Beastly Beast: Two Aliens, Three Inventors, Four Fantastic Tales by Garth Nix

One Beastly Beast: Two Aliens, Three inventors, Four Fantastic Tales by Garth Nix and illustrated by Brian Biggs was a wonderful thing to find while perusing the library bookshelves.   I was amazed I hadn't heard of it before since I am a huge Garth Nix fan.   These are great fantasy stories for younger readers.   These four stories have something for every child --- pirates, princess, aliens and incredible creatures.   The stories are filled with magic and adventure with lots of humor built in.   This is a great book for the reluctant reader because they are short stories that are quick reads.   So many children today love fantasy that this would be a great start to any child's collection.   Perfect too for this time of year!

The 13 Nights of Halloween by Guy Vasilovich

It is Halloween time yet again.   My neighbor has yet to put up his decorations but I have been told that this weekend our neighborhood will once again be Halloween Central.   I am also excited because for the first time I will get to see what he does to the inside of his house.   Apparently I will be truly amazed.   In preparation I thought I would show case a great countdown book to Halloween.

The 13 Nights of Halloween written and illustrated by Guy Vasilovich is a wonderful book to help prepare for the big night.  I love how it is basically the 12 Days of Christmas but instead for Halloween .   It reads (or should I say "sings") so well that it makes a great story time book.  It is a bit different than the Christmas song since rather than starting with the  actual holiday  it starts before the holiday and ends with the 13th day -- Halloween---which of course is perfect!   I love the how each day we are "given" all kinds of spooky and creepy sorts of things like "5 singing skulls or 4 icky eyeballs" ending with "1 Skeleton Key".   This is a great story time book that has a potential for a  myriad of craft ideas that would be fun.  I would have loved to read this at a Halloween story time or party.   The perfect way to start the season off right!

Stat: Home Court and Stat: Double Team by Amar'e Stoudmire

I was catching up on last weeks The Daily Show with Jon Stewart when I was pleasantly surprised that he was going to do an interview about a children's book series.   One of the reasons I love watching Jon Stewart is because he interviews so many authors on his show.   Mostly he does political or history books and of course some celebrity books.   What always amazes me is that I really thinks he reads most of them.   Today's books are basically a celebrity book series.   I am not knocking this but just being up front about it.  I can't remember the last time Jon Stewart talked about a children's book.   What I liked about the interview was that Jon was really impressed with the books.   I am thinking he got the books for his son who is just the right age to be reading them.   It is so wonderful to see a guy really excited about books and that he is apparently trying to get his son to love them too.   I am not into basketball so I had never heard of this player.   After watching the interview I was very impressed and happy that he should use his celebrity to get kids to read.   Never a bad thing in my eyes.

Stat: Home Court and Stat: Double Team by Amar'e Stoudmire and illustrated by Tim Jessell is a new series for young readers ages 8-12.   Scholastic who publishes the series calls it "realistic fiction".   I like that.   It is the fictionalized account of Mr Stoudmire's childhood and how he discovered that playing basketball was his dream.  It is a great series for the reluctant boy reader who loves sports.   Anything to get a child to read is a positive thing in my mind.   I knew nothing about Amar'e Stoudmire before I saw his interview.  He is an all-star NBA player for the NY Knicks who wants to be a positive influence on children.  Here's hoping this influence brings a love of reading to children everywhere.

Flashback Tuesday: A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein

Today is Shel Silverstein's birth anniversary.  He was such a talented writer who wrote such iconic books.   In his honor I give you one of my favorite Shel Silverstein books.

A Giraffe and a Half by Shel Silverstein is one book that I always loved to read to children.   It is a fun rhyming book that always has it's audience laughing with it's silliness.   Shel Silverstein wrote so many fun books for kids that sometimes this book gets lost in the shuffle.   ( I am also partial to giraffe's).  I like it because it is the kind of story that builds and builds with repetition that is a great story for a group during story time.   If your child love books like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie , which has a similar structure but id not quite as elaborate.   They will love this wonderful classic picture book.