Staff Picks for Children

Chu's Day

Ellen — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

(2013)

Author:

Friday, May 17, 2013

Newbery award winning author Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book) has written a sweet tale about a little panda with quite a sneeze. Chu (as in ah-choo) has one false alarm at the library (be sure to check out what's happening at the card catalog) and another at the diner. At the circus, Chu can't hold his sneeze back, and the power his sneeze contains is demonstrated at full blast. The end shows Chu's loving parents putting him to sleep just like any other young panda. Publisher's Weekly gave this book a starred review.

If you like picture books by Neil Gaiman, try my personal favorite: The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish.

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Let's Sing a Lullaby With the Brave Cowboy

KathleenW — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

(2012)

Author:

Thomas, Jan

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I love Jan Thomas’ silly, charming books with her bold, colorful comic-style illustrations, from Rhyming Dust Bunnies to Is Everyone Ready for Fun? Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy is her latest to date, and in my opinion, another hit. The cowboy of the title is actually not so brave; in his attempts to settle his cows down for the night, he interrupts his own lullaby with startled exclamations about what he imagines is lurking in the dark. The cows calm and reassure him--until, that is, something really IS in the shadows! What is it? And does it like lullabies? Find out!

Easily acted out, this comedy sketch of a story makes a great read-aloud for one or more readers; good for bedtime, storytime, or anytime. For those who love to sing as well as read and laugh, you can listen to and learn the Brave Cowboy’s Lullaby at JanThomasBooks.com Or make up your own tune, partners!

Recommended for ages 3 and up.

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Chronal Engine

skempf — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:35:12 +0000

(2012)

Author:

Smith, Greg Leitich

Friday, May 10, 2013

If you like dinosaurs and time travel than this is just the book for you. It is a fast paced adventure science fiction story perfect for boys and girls that love history, dinosaurs, and time travel. The action starts on page one and it never ends. Max and his older brother and sister, twins Kyle and Emma, are sent to stay with their grandfather at his ranch in Texas on the Colorado River while their mother is off studying dinosaurs in Mongolia. As soon as they arrive, their Grandfather tells them that Emma will be kidnapped, he will have a heart attack, and he has a time machine in the basement. Now Max, Kyle, and their new friend, Petra, must go back in the time of the dinosaurs in a VW to find Emma. Can they survive this ancient world with it many prehistoric dinosaurs? Who is the mysterious Samuel and why was Emma kidnapped in the first place?

Max is curious and observant, and he is more or less the hero in the story. Max’s knowledge of dinosaurs keeps the reader guessing as to what will happen next. Max certainly keeps everyone out of hot water and without him they would not have lived in the wild for five minutes. As we make our way through the story, Max is teaching us about the prehistoric landscape, its inhabitants and how to survive. We learn interesting and fun facts about the dinosaurs and their surroundings.

The characters are likeable and the settings bring the past alive. Boys and girls in grades 4 through 6 will enjoy this story.

I would recommend this book for children in grades 4 through 6.

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Henry and the Cannons

Ellen — Fri, 10 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

An Extraordinary True Story of the American Revolution (2013)

Author:

Don Brown

Friday, May 10, 2013

In 1775, the British Army had settled in Boston, and General Washington had no way of getting them to leave. Bookstore owner Henry Knox had the idea to retrieve 59 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga...in the middle of the winter. This involved traveling over ice, snow, mountains, woods, lakes, and once in a while there was a road to follow. After fifty days of traveling from Fort Ticonderoga, Henry arrived in Boston with all 59 cannons.

On March 17, 1776, the British awoke to see 59 cannons staring down on them and 9000 British soldier fled. According to the book, they left behind an additional 250 cannons. A bibliography is included at the back.

This book received starred reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal.

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Flying the Dragon (2012)

acooksey — Mon, 06 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Author:

Natalie Dias Lorenzi

Monday, May 6, 2013

Skye lives in Virginia with her mother and father. She loves to play soccer and has finally made the All-Star team for the coming summer. Hiroshi lives in Japan with his mother, his father and his grandfather. His grandfather makes kites and his family has a tradition of participating in rokkaku kite battles. This year Hiroshi is finally old enough to enter on his own and his first kite battle is only a month away. Although they have never met, Skye and Hiroshi are cousins and, although they don’t know it, their Grandfather is very sick.

Suddenly, Hiroshi finds himself leaving Japan and moving with his family to the United States seeking treatment for Grandfather. He brings his kite with him, but then Grandfather insists they teach his cousin Skye how to fly it as well. Meanwhile, Skye’s parents tell her she must spend the summer going to Japanese school instead of playing soccer. As if that isn’t enough, suddenly the kids at school are teasing her and Hiroshi. Now she has to decide if she’s going to stand up for her cousin or side with her friends to avoid being teased herself.

Will Skye and Hiroshi be able to get to know each other and put aside their differences in time to enjoy Grandfather’s company? Will Skye find a way to learn Japanese and still play soccer? Will Hiroshi be able to teach Skye enough about kite flying so that she can be his assistant in the rokkaku kite battle at the National Cherry Blossom Festival? As Skye and Hiroshi learn to navigate the changes in their world, they learn that sometimes the same rules that apply to kite flying can be applied to real life.

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Love is in the Air

Ellen — Fri, 03 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

(2012)

Author:

Jonathan Fenske

Friday, May 3, 2013

This adorable Penguin Young Readers Level 2 Early Reader about a red balloon and a yellow kite who fall in love is delightful. The simple, brightly colored illustrations will attract young readers, and the story will soften the hardest of hearts. The ending makes this librarian hope for some kind of sequel, either with kite and balloon again, or with another set of similar objects falling in love.

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Clara and Clem Take a Ride

Ellen — Wed, 01 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Author:

Ethan Long

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

In this Level 1 Penguin Young Readers book, Clara and Clem start out with blocks. Through one word statements and short rhymes (Bird! Fly! To the Sky!), the two go on a grand adventure using their big imaginations. Picture clues help the reader with unfamiliar vocabulary. Look for the next book, Clara and Clem in Outer Space in September, 2013. Strongly recommended for the very earliest reader.

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Get Ready for Jetty

Ellen — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

My Journal About ADHD and Me (2013)

Author:

Friday, April 26, 2013

In this title published by Magination Press (an imprint of the American Psychological Association), Jetty is new to 4^th grade and discovering that 4^th grade is not at all what she was expecting. The book is in a diary format, as Jetty’s 4^th grade teacher expects her to keep a diary. She has too much homework, is easily distracted, and is very quick to anger and to becoming upset. Jetty’s parent take her to a doctor where she is diagnosed with ADHD. At first, Jetty denies the diagnosis. She couldn’t possibly have ADHD. She doesn’t run around all the time or get in fights, but then recognizes other symptoms in herself. Jetty is a realistic character and readers will like reading about her journey. There are four pages of notes for parents and children with ADHD at the back of the book.

For more books about ADHD, go to this link.

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The Serpent's Shadow

skempf — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 05:40:49 +0000

(2012)

Author:

Riordan, Rick