If you are just now remembering that today is Read Across America Day, it’s not too late to plan something special. Some schools and libraries celebrate all week. You can pull off a great week of fun with simple planning and little or no expense.

Ideas for at school
Wednesday – Wear Red Day
Thursday – Crazy Hair Day
Friday – Make Cat in the Hat hats and have all of your students bring in their favorite Dr. Seuss book. Ask your students to write a silly poem inspired by Dr. Seuss.

What thinks Willy? Who cares, go ahead and be Silly! Silly isn’t liked by Billy? Throw him out where it is chilly! Silly can be thrilly. Not sure? Go ask Milly!

Ideas for at home
Read a Dr. Seuss book as a bedtime story or act out your favorite book.
Cook meals inspired by Dr. Seuss stories.
Who Pudding or Who Roast Beef, Green eggs and ham, Cat in the Hat tub cake

Personalize your celebration and remember the most important part is having fun!

I don’t know about my son but I can’t wait for this book to come out! I hope this group of crayons is as much fun as the crayon gang from The Day the Crayons Quit. I wonder what Duncan has been up to with his new crayons? Will they give him more advice about coloring? Are any of the crayons fighting? Will we meet Duncan’s sister? I guess I’ll have to wait until August when the book comes out. I think I’ll buy it for my son as a going back to school present. Who am I kidding? I’m buying this book for myself!

Newbery Medal – “The Crossover” written by Kwame Alexander

Newbery Honor Books – “EL Deafo” written by Cece Bell
“Brown Girl Dreaming” written by Jacqueline Woodson

Caldecott Medal – “The Adventures by Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend” illustrated by Dan Santat

Caldecott Honor Books – “Nana in the City” illustrated by Lauren Castillo
“The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art” illustrated by Mary GrandPre’
“Sam & Dave Dig a Hole” illustrated by Jason Klassen
“Viva Frida” illustrated by Yuyi Morales
“The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus” illustrated by Melissa Sweet
“This One Summer” illustrated by Jillian Tamaki

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award – “You Are (Not) Small” written by Anna Kang illustrated by Christopher Weyant

Geisel Honor Books – “Mr. Putter & Tabby Turn the Page” written by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by Arthur Howard
“Waiting is Not Easy!” written by Mo Willems illustrated by Mo Willems

If one of your New Year’s resolutions was for your family to do more reading and you don’t know where to start – This list of winners can double as a shopping list!

Congratulations to everyone!

You can be one of the first to hear the announcement by viewing the live webcast of the press conference at www.ala.org. You can also follow the events on Twitter using the official hashtag #ALAyma.

Flashback to 2013

Caldecott Winner: ‘This Is Not My Hat’, illustrated by Jon Klassen. This simple story provides maximum enjoyment by allowing the reader to use their imagination to create their own ideas of what they think happened at the end of the book. This Is Not My Hat continues to be a favorite story in our house.

Caldecott Honor Book: ‘Creepy Carrots!’, illustrated by Peter Brown. Creepy Carrots! is another book that maintains its popularity even after being read multiple times. If you eat too many carrots, you just might find yourself being followed by a carrot… or is it all in your imagination? Just when you think you have it figured out, you look at the illustrations and you’re right back to being unsure. You will have to read it and see if you can decide!

The winners of the John Newbery Medal and the Randolph Caldecott Medal were announced this morning in Philadelphia.

The 2014 recipient of the John Newbery Medal for “most outstanding contribution to children’s literature” is Kate Dicamillo for her book “Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures”. This is not the first time that Kate has been rewarded for her work. She also received the Newbery Medal in 2004 for her book “The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread”. In 2001, “Because of Winn Dixie” was named a Newbery Medal Honor Book.

2014 Newbery Honor Books:

“Doll Bones,” written by Holly Black
“The Year of Billy Miller,” written by Kevin Henkes
“One Came Home,” written by Amy Timberlake
“Paperboy,” written by Vince Vawter

The Randolph Caldecott Medal is awarded to “most distinguished American picture book for children” and the 2014 winner is “Locomotive,” illustrated and written by Brian Floca.

2014 Caldecott Honor Books:

“Journey,” written and illustrated by Aaron Becker
“Flora and the Flamingo,” written and illustrated by Molly Idle
“Mr. Wuffles!” written and illustrated by David Wiesner

Congratulations to both of the medal winners and to the honor books! If you need suggestions for what to read to your kids during this long cold winter, today’s winning books are a great place to start!

I was drawn to this book based on the cover illustration. Don’t judge a book by its cover, right? Or wrong? This book was not at all what I expected – In a good way. I think… but I don’t know. This book is a great mystery to me. I keep thinking about it and I’m conflicted. Really, over a children’s book? Yes. Every time I consider the concept of this book, my respect for the author grows. I’m amazed that anyone could pull off this story and yet Mary Sullivan has done it and done it well. When I first read the book, I kept thinking… really? Is it possible? In the end, the answer is – Yes! If you love dogs, you will love this book. If you’ve ever wondered what a dog is thinking, you will love this book. If you are a parent who loves to read with expression and to add more to the story than maybe the author intended, you will love this book.

Goodnight Baseball by Michael Dahl

Goodnight Baseball is a brand new story with vintage appeal. It’s a story that captures the wide eyed wonder of your first trip to the ball park. It covers every aspect of the memory making day; the concessions, the souvenirs and the hope of catching a fly ball. It’s a day the little boy will never forget. The illustrations are warm and rich and contribute to the story in a way that words can’t.

Care for Our World
Karen S. Robbins (Author), M.H. Clark (Author), Ball Alexandra (Illustrator)
When you first see Care for Our World, the beautiful and unique illustrations are the first thing to grab your attention. This book is for young children and provides a wonderful introduction to caring for our planet and the delicate habitats of animals. Most preschoolers love animals and spending time outside playing and exploring the wonders of nature. By reading this book, we are all reminded of the timeless lesson to care for nature so that it may be enjoyed for generations to come.

Where Does the Garbage Go? Paul Showers (Author), Randy Chewning (Illustrator)

Recycle!: A Handbook for Kids
Gail Gibbons (Author)
Recycle takes you on a recycling journey. It explains the process of recycling step by step. It’s also quite informative as it reminds us that some products can’t be recycled. And while you may not think that it’s a big deal, most of those products are not bio-degradable; they last forever in a landfill. Once you have all of the facts, you might change your shopping habits. The suggested age range for this book is 1-6; however, I think it’s more appropriate for 6-10 year olds.

What Happens to Our Trash?
D. J. Ward (Author), Paul Meisel (Illustrator)
This book is very enlightening. The fact that the USA produces more trash than any other country should act as a wake up call. The facts and info concerning landfills are sobering. But don’t be discouraged by the bad news; be inspired. Make changes in what you dispose of; it does make a difference!

10 Things I Can Do to Help My World
Melanie Walsh (Author, Illustrator)
The first thing I noticed about this book is that it is made from 100% recycled materials. It seems like such a simple thing but impressive nonetheless. The book is cleverly designed and your child will enjoy exploring each page. The 10 things are practical suggestions and fun facts are woven in throughout the book.

National Poetry Month was created in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets. By creating a month of poetry recognition, the Academy hopes to increase the attention that poetry receives in the media as well as increase the usage of poetry in school curriculum. Other goals of the Academy include highlighting the achievements of American poets and increasing the amount of poetry that is published.

The Academy of American Poets encourages schools, libraries and book sellers to participate in National Poetry Month and supplies free lesson plans and tip sheets for increased involvement.

I‘m not sure how or why poetry got the reputation for being dull, boring and uninteresting, but that assessment couldn’t be farther from the truth. Disagree? What about the books created by Dr. Seuss? When I’m reading a children’s book that rhymes, I’m always fascinated by the fact that a writer has the ability to tell a story and create rhymes all in one book.

If you don’t think your child will like poetry, but they like stories about animals, try a rhyming book about animals. The National Geographic Book of Animals is a beautiful book. The up close and detailed pictures of nature will make it a favorite with your kids and one that they will ask for again and again.

Do you have a child who is suspicious of rhyming books but loves dinosaurs and baseball? Then Dino-Baseball is an excellent choice. This book will be a ‘hit’ among the Pre-K to second grade crowd. It is cleverly written and balances the dual theme of dinosaurs and baseball very well. As you read this story, you will find it hard to decide who to root for; the carnivores or the herbivores. Or as it states in the book, the Green Sox vs. the Rib Eye Reds. The illustrations are vibrant and detailed and it’s just the right length for bedtime story reading. Adults will appreciate the ease with which the dino names can be pronounced.

It’s never too early to introduce your baby to poetry or to learning colors. Fortunately, both can be accomplished in Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? Brown Bear, Brown Bear is a book that your baby can enjoy as soon as they are able to sit in your lap and it’s likely to continue to be a favorite for many years. The colors hold the attention of the youngest listener and it introduces the concepts of recognizing and naming colors and animals. Your baby will be learning without knowing it as the text in it provides repetition and rhyming; both are vital to laying a solid foundation for pre-reading and early reading skills.

If you are looking for entertaining books for children, try the Pigeon Books by Mo Willems. This month marks the 10th birthday of the Pigeon books and the beginning of Mo’s career in writing children’s books. My son discovered the Pigeon books this year when his teacher read Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! He then began to bring the entire Pigeon book collection home one by one as he checked them out of the library. Instead of inwardly groaning each time I saw another one, I actually looked forward to reading the books myself! At the beginning of each book, you wonder what is that Pigeon going to come up with this time and you are never disappointed. I think my favorite is The Pigeon Wants a Puppy. Not only is it a great story but also a lesson in remembering that you better watch what you wish for; you just might get it!