Children Books World

++ I'm working on new site ++

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 14:28:00 +0000

I think I'm gonna make a site where I put all the blogs and my other websites together.
It's going to take some time to get things done but I'm sure the new website is going to be good.
Anyways, Happy New Year to anyone who stop by my blog :D

Anne Frank: a photographic story of a life : Kem Knapp Sawyer

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 16:17:00 +0000

I really can't adjust myself to this kind of weather here now, it's always changing.
Yesterday it was cold and seems like it would get colder today but ya, it turned out to be just hotter. Christmas is coming up. I don't know if my sis is going to do some Christmas tree decorations or not. This year is the first year that I don't get so excited about Christmas.
I'm so busy and to be honest, a lot of things to think/work on. I just hope next year things will be better for me.

Anyways, I'm gonna write about this book, Anne Frank : a photographic story of a life.
I know who Anne Frank is, well, somewhat :S. I know she's famous and her story was sad but I never really got to read the book until last year. I was finding some book to read when I visited home and I found this. I thought it was another boring biography book but yeah, I was too tired to find another book so I read it.

I like it that it doesn't have too much content and the font size is easy to read plus a lot of pictures :) Ok~ I confess I love book that has more picture mainly because I'm too lazy to read.
Back to the book, I feel sorry Anne really, she was too young to die. She had talent and a lot more to offer to this world but to think positive , at least she left her diary which later was published and now it has been published and translated many times. I'm sure she would be very happy to know this.

The book contains her/her family biography, pictures, and some parts of her diary so we get to know more about Anne and what happened during those harsh months.

I know this book is more of a photo/biographic book and not much of fantasy but it did make me aware of my life and my dreams, you should keep holding on to your dreams or goals even though things are so difficult for you.

And yeah, about war aspect, I know war does no good to human race although it is necessary sometimes ( I just don't know why the adults have to make things so difficult they just can't solve problems in friendly ways lol ) . War takes away everything from Anne's world and she lost her beautiful youth and didn't even get a chance to grow up and see her own success. So yep, people! let's keep peace in this world for the children and their beautiful futures lol

I know I gotta change the subject before my blog become politics space lol.
I just want to say that this book is good for children because Anne was also a child too, especially a girl, she would get herself linked to Anne easily and I'm sure it would help them see something in real life from the book.

World eBook Fair Website

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:36:00 +0000

I don't know what happened to me but these days I feel like I run out of words to write on my blog.
I have a few books to review on here but when I was about the type I stopped and didn't know where to start. That's why I only posted some news instead.

Maybe I'm just too worried with my English. I think I will just be natural then.

So today I'm going to write about a website then.
I just found the website World eBook Fair a few weeks ago.
This website is a big library online where reader can search for some books to read.
There are many collections of e-books to choose and if you sign up for their individual membership, which is as little as 8.95 usd per year, you can get up to 500,000 e-Books to read!

I tried searching for some books I'm interested like the Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit and yes! I found one teeheee~~ I really wanna read the original version cuz I only have read the translated one.

I think for the old books like the classic ones are probably free to read there but for the best-seller or new ones I guess they might be available for the paid membership. I'm not sure though.

Oh~ I forgot to tell you that the e-books are available in many languages. I found some books there in Hungarian :D

Ok~ and this is the screenshot of the website homepage and the link.

Link : http://worldebookfair.org/

Namibia: First Youth Theatre Book to Be Launched

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:21:00 +0000

Namibia: First Youth Theatre Book to Be Launched

Source : allafrica.com

Windhoek — The first-ever self-written theatre book by the Namibian youth has just been published and will be formally launched early next year, the chairperson of Assitej-Namibia (Organisation of Theatre for Children and Young People), David Ndjavera, announced.

The book is the final product of four years of hard and consistent creative work among the youth by the organisation and contains 14 self-written contemporary plays under the creative guidance of a facilitator.

"The book, 'Namibian Youth Theatre', we consider as our humble, but important contribution towards national and holistic education in our country, an unmatched collective literature achievement in Southern Africa," said a proud Ndjavera.

According to him the 142-page book will be submitted in the new year to NIED for consideration as a set book in secondary schools under the Ministry of Education.

"Due to the unique creative onslaught of the book, we are confident that it will make the ultimate difference in teaching drama and theatre in our schools that have been struggling due to a lack of such material since independence. We, as adults, have grown up in the previous education system without any such material. Today's youth can now enjoy their own creative work on a very high level," he said.

Hundreds of enthusiastic youths at 17 centres around the country collectively took part in the writing process with the financial assistance of the Finnish Embassy in Windhoek.

"This anthology is the result of hard work, dedication and a strong vision for a national youth theatre movement in Namibia by Assitej-Namibia. The book undoubtedly forms the foundation for educational youth theatre in this country," says the former Chargé d'Affaires of the Finnish embassy, Seija Kinni-Huttunen, in a foreword to the book.

In her view the Finnish government and the embassy are proud to be associated with this anthology that was written at a specific time and period in the history of Namibia.

The Magician's Book : A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:31:00 +0000

source : SFGate.com

The Magician's Book : A Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia

by Laura Miller

In "The Magician's Book," Salon magazine co-founder and New York Times Book Review contributor Laura Miller takes on a surprisingly difficult assignment: dissecting her lingering fascination with all things Narnia.

She examines her continuing love of the C.S. Lewis classic "Chronicles of Narnia" series through a number of lenses: as a young girl, as a nonbeliever, as a literary critic and as a journalist, interviewing fellow "Narnia" lovers such as Neil Gaiman and Jonathan Lethem, combing through Lewis biographies and nonfiction works and even traveling to Lewis' environs in England.

Balancing "Narnia" exposition with new material in this book is not easy. Millions of people have enjoyed the books and (blasphemy!) the movies, but how many adults have picked up "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" since they were in elementary school? Miller manages to provide the right amount of information, but at times, "The Magician's Book" plods frustratingly slowly through the necessary "Narnia" plot summaries and doubles back on itself, repeating observations on Miller's experience as a young girl consumed with the books.

But when Miller hits a fertile bit of ground - her chapters on Lewis' relationship with his family and his long friendship with "Ring"-master J.R.R. Tolkien are especially interesting - her lucid prose and varied reference materials do a fantastic job sketching out the complicated terrain of Lewis' celebrated creation.

One thing is abundantly clear: Miller loves "Narnia." Really, really loves "Narnia." She writes that the best way to explain her reaction to Lewis' stories as a 9-year-old is the moment when the "Wizard of Oz" movie goes from monochrome to color. "If you asked me at the same age why I liked 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' better than, say, 'Little Women' or any other story more like my own, I wouldn't have been able to answer; it seemed crazy to prefer anything else."

Lewis' stories were many things to Miller, but a Christian tract was not one of them. When as a teenager she learned that the story of the lion Aslan and Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie was actually the story of Jesus' resurrection, she immediately disavowed the Chronicles. "When I could no longer kid myself that Narnia actually existed, it remained the province of my imagination where I felt the most free," she writes. Learning about the Christian subtext "ruined even that."

Dreams do come true : NSTonline

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:57:00 +0000

By MEERA MURUGESAN

The lack of storybooks for Arab children prompted an accomplished academician to write beautiful tales depicting Palestinian children living under trying conditions but holding fast to their dreams. MEERA MURUGESAN speaks to author Dr Najla Nusayr Bashour. SHE writes not just to expose Arab children to the joys of reading, but also to help them appreciate their cultural identity.

Arabic children's book writer Dr Najla Nusayr Bashour is a woman on a mission.

A highly accomplished academician who lives and works in Lebanon and is actively involved in programmes for Palestinian refugee children, Najla first started writing after she realised there were a limited number of books, educational board games and other child-centred learning materials in Arabic.

She needed such tools for the refugee children she was assisting but discovered there was a lack of such materials for Arab children in general.

Undeterred, the experienced educationist decided to come up with her own. She set up the Tala Establishment for Educational Aids and Instruments in 1984 to produce educational games and instructional materials for children from Arab cultures.

She eventually took this endeavour one step further by authoring and publishing her first set of books for Arab children in April 1999.

Najla wanted Arab children to have access to reading materials they could relate to, with stories that would help them understand and be proud of their identity and cultural heritage.

To date, she has written five children's book series, with one such set recently translated into both English and Malay and published by the Malaysian Social Research Institute, an NGO that has been working closely with Palestinian refugees in Lebanon for more than 20 years.

Called Series of Memories, the set of six books were launched at a ceremony at the National Library in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Najla said when she started writing, she did so because she wanted Arab children to feel that their culture was something to be proud of and that it had a standing and place in the modern world.

“I knew there were some among them, especially those with access to good education, who felt alienated from their roots and were more inclined to take on a Western identity,” said Najla.

The mother of five, who came down to Kuala Lumpur for the launch, has an obvious passion for helping children to learn.

And there is plenty that Arab children can gain from their culture. Values like courage, chivalry and generosity are embedded in many of the stories and legends which are part of their heritage, said Najla.

In Series of Memories, Najla tackles the subject of the Palestinian cause and struggle, an issue close to the heart of many Arabs.

The books tell the stories of Palestinian children who live in conflict and have to struggle through difficult situations yet remain motivated by their dreams and longing for their homeland.

The characters and incidents in the stories have been inspired by real events which refugee children have experienced and incidents which have made the news and drawn international attention.

Read more...

++ The Saga of Erik the Viking : Terry Jones ++

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:56:00 +0000

I've been working on my other site , misshappycatdesign, so tired.
But today I'm going to write about this book, The Saga of Erik the Viking.
I got this book from my sister as a gift for getting straight A's that semester lol.
That was about 15 years ago [ now I feel old , lol ].

The Saga of Erik the Viking was written by a Welsh writer, Terry Jones, in 1983.
The book won the Children's Book award in 1984.
The book is about the adventures of the Viking Warrior and his crew on the way to find the land 'where the sun goes at night'. They have met many creatures like dragon, the old man of the sea and dogfighters. The crew has been through a lot of dreadful situations on their journey and have learned and seen a lot of new and amazing things together which the stories have been told from generation to generation after their return home.

To be honest, I didn't like this book much when I first got it. I thought it was too manly man story lol. I was so into and was used to those fairy tales I found this book sooo boring.
But it turned out differently when I grew up and read it again, this time I thought it was great!

The chapters I liked most in this book are,

How Erik and Thangbrand were tested, was a good story and it tells you how to be a leader.
Sometimes a good leader is not a leader who has the best weapons in hand or is the strongest of all but it's in his brains to use the weapons and the power in hands wisely and also it's how he's trusted and respected by his followers.

The Talking Valley, when Erik and his men found the talking valley. They are all amazed by this wonderful gift they have while they are there. They love listening to the trees, the rivers and the creatures talking to each other. Finally, they are caught up in this enchanted place they forget their real goal. It's good to have dreams but to get stuck in your sweet dreams and forget what you are doing and your real goal is nothing but a tragedy. Oh~ well,I've been there before lol.

Book world debates value of Newbery Medal

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:03:00 +0000

By Valerie Strauss
(c) 2008, The Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- The Newbery Medal has been the gold standard in children's literature for more than eight decades. On the January day when the annual winner is announced, bookstores nationwide sell out, libraries clamor for copies and teachers add the work to lesson plans.

Now the literary world is debating the Newbery's value, asking whether the books that have won recently are so complicated and inaccessible to most children that they are effectively turning off kids to reading. Of the 25 winners and runners-up chosen from 2000 to 2005, four of the books deal with death, six with the absence of one or both parents and four with such mental challenges as autism. Most of the rest deal with tough social issues.
An article in October's School Library Journal -- "Has the Newbery Lost Its Way?" by children's literary expert Anita Silvey -- touched off the debate, now in full bloom on blogs and in e-mails. It is the new flashpoint in the struggle to draw children into the delicious world of books at a time when the National Endowment for the Arts says fewer Americans are choosing to read than they did 20 years ago, risking social and economic consequences.
The organization that awards the Newbery -- and several other book prizes, including the Caldecott Medal for best American picture book for children -- defends its methods and its record.

"The criterion has never been popularity," said Pat Scales, president of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. "It is about literary quality. We don't expect every child to like every book. How many adults have read all the Pulitzer Prize-winning books and the National Book Award winners and liked every one?"

But Silvey and other critics have said the Newbery committee, which will award the 2009 medal Jan. 26, has a special responsibility because it is so influential.
"I can't help but believe that thousands, even millions, more children would grow up reading if the Newbery committee aimed to spotlight books that are deep and beautiful and irresistible to kids," said Lucy Calkins, founding director of the Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University's Teachers College and a professor of children's literature.

Read more...

Dorothy Sterling, author of African American children's literature, dies at 95

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:59:00 +0000

From the Los Angeles Times

Dorothy Sterling, author of African American children's literature, dies at 95

She wrote more than 35 books, including 'Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman,' and
brought attention to less-known figures.

By Elaine Woo

Dorothy Sterling, a significant figure in 20th-century children's literature for her lucid, well- researched portrayals of historical African Americans written decades before multiculturalism became mainstream, died Dec. 1 at her home in Wellfleet, Mass. She was 95.

A self-described accidental historian, Sterling wrote more than 35 books, among the best-known of which is "Freedom Train: The Story of Harriet Tubman." Published in 1954 and still in print, it was one of the first full-length biographies of a historical black figure written for children.

The author drew attention to more obscure but important figures in "Captain of the Planter: The Story of Robert Smalls" (1958), the first children's biography of the slave who captured a Confederate gunboat during the Civil War. "The Making of an Afro-American: Martin Robinson Delany" (1971) helped stir interest in the little-known abolitionist, Harvard-educated physician and early proponent of black nationalism.

Sterling "was a major figure in the development of 20th-century children's literature because she was one of the first people to insist upon the representation of African Americans in that literature," said Julia Mickenberg, an American studies professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

In the mid-1960s, Sterling testified before a congressional committee headed by Rep. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (D-N.Y.) on racial bias in textbooks and helped form the Council on Interracial Books for Children, which worked to improve the portrayal of minorities in children's books.

She also wrote for adults in books such as "We Are Your Sisters: Black Women in the Nineteenth Century" (1984), an anthology of voices drawn from diaries, letters, literature and other records that the Christian Science Monitor said "read better than fiction and have the vividness of poetry"; and "Ahead of Her Time: Abby Kelley and the Politics of Antislavery" (1991), about a white abolitionist and social reformer who influenced suffragettes such as Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone.

"The title of that book, 'Ahead of Her Time,' is the perfect description of Dorothy," said Mary Helen Washington, a professor of African American literature at the University of Maryland at College Park, who knew Sterling for more than two decades. "She was the most extraordinary researcher I've ever seen in my life."

Sterling, who was white, developed an interest in African American history after reading the works of such radical historians as Herbert Aptheker and W.E.B. Du Bois. In the 1940s, she was a Communist; later she said socialism was her long-term goal.

"I learned about Black history from the Left, and then I pursued it," she told Mickenberg in the book "Learning from the Left: Children's Literature, the Cold War, and Radical Politics in the United States."

Born Nov. 23, 1913, in New York City, Sterling was a descendant of German Jews who came to the United States in the 1850s. As the daughter of a lawyer and a schoolteacher, she grew up in comfortable circumstances, entered Wellesley College when she was 16 and graduated from Barnard College in 1934.

She had wanted to become a botanist but switched to philosophy after a professor told her that the opportunities for a female botanist were extremely limited.

Her first job after college was writing reviews for Art News, a weekly magazine. When a new owner replaced all the women on staff with men, she joined the Federal Writers Project, a Depression-era work-relief program.

It was a life-changing experience for Sterling, who for the first time "met people who did not share my sheltered, middle-class background," including aging Yiddish playwrights, Greenwich Village poets, black novelists and journalists.

Read more ...

++ Mary Poppins Comes Back : P.L. Travers ++

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:52:00 +0000

I was one of the ( Thai ) readers who was waiting for the return of Jedi , oops, I mean , Mary Poppins lol ( I know the joke was corny :P ).
Finally, seven or eight years later the translated version was out. I was at a bookstore one evening and saw the book right there on the shelf. I was surprised really cuz I never thought I would saw the next book came out after the 7-8 years of waiting. I was about to walk to another aisle when I saw it :) There was only one copy left on the shelf plus a few pages folded. I guess somebody was reading it. I was thinking if I should buy it now or not but yeah, finally I did cuz I didn't want to wait any longer. I wanted to know what was going to happen in the second book.

Mary Poppins Comes Back is the second book after Mary Poppins.
Since the day Mary left the Banks everyday is full of chaos and nothing has been right.
Mrs. Banks is going crazy so she sends the children to the park.
There Michael has an idea to play a kite and while they are playing the kite gets into the clouds. They are trying to pull it down and when the kite is being pulled down they can see something , no! , it's someone!! coming down with the kite !

Review :

Well, I must confess that I was waiting for so long til this book came out and when it did I was so happy and I enjoyed reading it but I feel like the book is another copy of the first book, Mary Poppins. The stories are interesting and full of those fantasy adventures but they quite resemble the stories in the first book, for example : Bad Wednesday in this book and the Bad Tuesday in the first book, which I find a little bit boring because I was hoping to see totally different plots in the new book.

However I still enjoyed the book and I think the author just wanted to put each character as a leading role in each chapter that's why it goes like that. I still give the book a 4.5 out of 5 though. I loved the book :)

My favorite chapters would be Kite , Bad Wednesday and Robertson Ay's story.

NYDailynews : Holiday Guide: Best books to buy for kids

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 13:50:00 +0000

This is another gift book idea for this upcoming holidays! I think I'm gonna ask my sister to buy some books during her trip in Australia on New Year. For me, children book is a nice gift for both children and adults because you can read it anytime and it's fun to read :)

Here's the article hehe,

[ well, I removed the prices on here but you can see the price by following the link below to the source page of this article ]

NYDailynews : Holiday Guide: Best books to buy for kids

BY SHERRYL CONNELLY

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, December 14th 2008, 4:00 AM

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury . Perhaps one of the sweetest and most inclusive baby books ever. Large and lovely illustrations depict babies from around the world as a sing-song poem illustrates what they all have in common. (infant/preschool)

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger . As the other leaves are carried off by fall winds, one little leaf clings to his tree. The seasons change before he finds the courage to swirl into the world. (4 to 8)

Old Bear by Kevin Henkes . Old Bear falls asleep and dreams of his days as a cub. The cub is particularly cute, and the dreams intensely colorful. Sweet, soothing and engaging. (4 to 8)

Barack by Jonah Winter, illustrated by AG Ford . The story of our President-elect is told in inspiring terms, from childhood to later years, as he seeks to find his place in the world and emerge as a true leader. (4-8)

My Father's Dragon, 60th Anniversary Edition by Ruth Stiles Gannett, illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett . This treasured classic tells the story of a certain Elmer Elevator who rescues a baby dragon. Wild adventures follow. (7-9)

Gully's Travels by Tor Seidler, pictures by Brock Cole. Gulliver is a dog who has an easy time in Manhattan until his master takes a wife allergic to dogs. He learns the other side of life, and a few lessons about it, when he's given to the doorman. (8 to 12)

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry . A nefarious tale of two parents who want to rid themselves of their four children. They're thinking Hansel and Gretel, but the kids have their own plans to dispatch their wicked parents. Think Lemony Snicket. (8 to 12)

++ The Little Bookroom by Eleanor Farjeon ++

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:45:00 +0000

'The Little Bookroom' was written by a female English writer, Eleanor Farjeon. It was first published in 1955 and won Hans Christian Andersen Award and the Carnegie Medal.
This book has the stories that were the writer's best stories selected by the writer herself.

I remember I didn't like it much when I was younger. I thought the story was a bit confusing even though the version I read was the one translated into Thai. Maybe it's because the stories in this book are not just plain fairy tales like most books I used to read. It has some deep meaning behind that like some satirical humor.

Here are some stories I like the most,

The Seventh Princess

A story of a king who married a gypsy. The queen longed for the freedom to go and see things outside the palace but she never had a chance to. She gave birth to seven daughters and now the prob is that who's going to be the next queen. The king said " the princess with longest hair will be the next queen" . The queen got six nurses to take care of her first six daughters while she took care of the youngest daughter. When the time comes, the queen passed away, so which of the princess would have the longest hair and become the next queen?

The Young Kate

A story of a little girl named Kate who worked as a servant of Miss Daw. One day she got to clean the attic window and there from the window she could see the meadow outside. She asked Miss Daw for a permission to go there after work but she didn't allow because she might meet Green Woman. Then next week she got to clean up the window again and now she saw valley and river so she asked Miss Daw again but the answer was still no because she might meet River King. Next week she got to clean up the window again and this time she saw the woods so she asked Miss Daw again but she still said no and this time the reason was that she might meet the Dancing Boy.
Miss Daw never sent Kate back to clean the attic window again. Later she died and now Kate had to find a new place but she had no money so she had to walk. Along the way to another town she met the Green Woman, the River King and the Dancing Boy !

If you want to know the ending of this story you have to read it yourself, hehe. The book is full of , well, you can say " fantacy" stories. A lot of seeking freedom and self existence and stuffs. Maybe that's why I love it, free spirit lol

++ Round The Christmas Tree ++

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:38:00 +0000

Christmas is coming up! Actually, I don't know why I really love Christmas since it's not a big event here in Thailand but I just love it very much and it's my most fav holidays I look forward to each year. We have some light decorations , choirs , big Christmas trees in Bangkok and other big cities though. I'm going to share some pics I took when I was still in Bangkok later.

Ok. Back to the book again. I got this book on New Year's Eve in 1993 lol, I know that's long time ago hehe. This book collects Christmas stories from around the world.
Here are some examples,

Wag-by-wall by Beatrix Potter [ England ]
A story of a poor woman named Sally who lived alone in her cottage. She owned an antigue wall clock which sang a strange song " tic: toc: gold: toe" . Later she got a letter from someone currently taking care of her niece because her daughter and her husband just died. Sally was asked to send some money to the person as the cost to send her niece to her but she was out of money really. She was worried she couldn't send money to get her niece back but there were some miracle happened which you have to read it by yourself lol. I aint gonna spoil it.

Mrs. Pepperpot's Christmas by Alf Proysen [ Norway ]
A story of Mrs. Pepperpot from a series of children book " Mrs. Pepperpot ".
It started when she woke up and found herself small like a pepperpot.
It wouldn't be such a big deal if she didnt have a date with Mr. Pepperpot to buy some stuffs for Christmas at Christmas Fair. So how could she go ??

There are more stories in the book which are fun to read :) I'm sure the kids would love it and it's good to hear different Christmas stories from different places around the world.

++ The International Children’s Digital Library ++

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:31:00 +0000

The International Children’s Digital Library

I found this website today and am thinking of joining there as a volunteer translator.
This website has many good books from around the world for children ( and adults too! ) to read online. There are books from different languages for example, Japanese, German etc.

The foundation is non-profit one and their goal is to make books as bridges to connect children around the globe to learn , understand and live with differences, to be members of global community as said on the homepage of the website.

Here is their official mission stated on their website.

The mission of the International Children's Digital Library Foundation (ICDL Foundation) is to support the world's children in becoming effective members of the global community - who exhibit tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas -- by making the best in children's literature available online free of charge.

The Foundation pursues its vision by building a digital library of outstanding children's books from around the world and supporting communities of children and adults in exploring and using this literature through innovative technology designed in close partnership with children for children.

To be honest, this website and their intention remind me of a program on TV here.
It was a program that take two kids from two families that have different background and lifestyle then send each of them to live with the other's family as some kind of exchange program like a kid from a Muslim family in the South spent a week at a Buddhist family in the North and vice versa so the children learn more about each other's lives, cultures, and the local.
That helps them understand more about the differences so that they learn to tolerate with diversity in society when they grow up.

It's good to start when with children because they are so pure and still be more open to learn new things. Well, at least better than some grown-ups you know, too many stuffs installed in my brain already it's hard to get 'em out lol.

Now let's see how you can find some books from around the world to read here !

I really like the colors they used on their website , it's not too cute yet , not too formal, just soo nice! Here's the screen shot of the homepage

Well, yeah, now I found a place to read books around the world and I'm not a kid!I think it's good for anyone children or parents or a single like me lol

So don't forget to check it out :)

Roundup: Children's books about the presidency

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:59:00 +0000

Found an article on USA Today site by Bob Minzesheimer on four new children's books about politics. I don't live in USA and my country doesn't have a president [ we have a Prime Minister ] but I think the books are good for any kids from anywhere to read.

I really believe there should be more books on these complicated topics like economics or politics that are easy to understand and more accessible to children so they can get be more knowledgeable and get involved with it more , and don't feel like it's something for adults only.

Yes We Can: A Biography of President Barack Obama
By Garen Thomas
Feiwel and Friends, 236 pp., ages 9 and up

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out
By 108 authors and illustrators
Candlewick, 242 pp., ages 10 and up

This one written by a 13 year-old.

First Kids: The True Stories of All the Presidents' Children
By Noah McCullough
Scholastic, 189 pp., ages 9 to 12

The Great White House Breakout
By Helen Thomas and Chip Bok Dial, ages 6 and up

Credit : Roundup: Children's books about the presidency

My all-time favorite book : Mary Poppins

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:37:00 +0000

It would be mean if I don't write about my all-time fav book here.

I read this book for the first time when I was 7.

I was so young that I thought every word in the book was real lol.

I really thought Mary Poppins and the Banks family did exist ~~

oohh~~ what a cute lil innocent girl teehee :)

I remember i walked up to my eldest sister and asked her how to get to Number Seventeen Cherry Tree Lane to visit the Banks family haha.

I even asked her to take me there :P and my sis was like "well , we have to go to England cuz the Banks lives in England" pshhh~~

This book has quite a big impact on me. At least it got me doing crazy little things back then. I'll tell you later bout that hehe. Now let's go to the review from me.

Mary Poppins is the first book of Mary Poppins series.

The Banks were in need of a new nanny after the last one just quit the job and Mary Poppins came.

And since then their lives never be the same again, no more another ordinary day ~ just full of surprises and adventures :)

She was mysteriously unique and the children loved her.

They also had a little adventures like traveling around the world with a compass or visiting Mary's uncle filled with laughing gas and was floating in the air.

At the end of the book Mary left the children and yeah, the way she left was kinda weird.

She took her umbrella out and let the wind blow her umbrella and carry her up from the ground. well, yeah, she just flied away with her umbrella.

Now you can guess what I prolly was gonna do with it after I read the final chapter lol.

Yes,I took an umbrella and walked outside to the front yard , there I was standing raising my umbrella and waiting for the wind to carry me up like it did to Mary Poppins.

No~I didnt stop it there lol I kept doing it for like 3-4 days and finally I realized there ain't gonna be such a thing happen in real life lol

I was sad actually cuz I was really hoping to fly away like that and met Mary Poppins lol

Anyways, the story of Mary Poppins didnt end there since Mary left a note written in french " Au Revoir " which means " see you again" so she was comin back some time in the future which I will write more later.

Ok~ back to the book. The first pic I uploaded here is Mary Poppins Thai version which is the first Mary Poppins I read. The second one was a gift from one of my best friend. He visited his brother in USA and bought this book for me.

Tales of Beedle the Bard becomes best seller in the UK chart

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Tales of Beedle the Bard set tills ringing

JK Rowling's pendant to the Harry Potter books is outselling its nearest book-chart rival five to one

JK Rowling's new book The Tales of Beedle the Bard has followed in the footsteps of its seven predecessors to fly to the top of the UK's book charts, selling more than five times the number of copies of its closest rival despite being on sale for just three days.

Almost 368,000 copies of the book were sold last week, according to book sales monitor Nielsen BookScan, compared with 73,236 copies sold of second-placed Guinness World Records, and 68,073 of At My Mother's Knee, Paul O'Grady's autobiography.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard was published last Thursday, with a worldwide print run of eight million copies, and net proceeds going to charity. Although its opening dwarfs the rest of the Christmas titles currently jostling for position in the book charts, the sales are a long way off those of the final book in Rowling's Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which racked up three million sales in its opening weekend last year.

Nonetheless, bookshops expect Beedle to remain at the top of the charts until Christmas at the earliest, and the book is currently number one on both Amazon and Waterstone's online bestseller lists. "The low price-point [of £6.99] helps, and the fact that it is so 'pick-upable'," said Foyles head of buying Kate Gunning. "[It's] good to have a new title published so near to Christmas, and that the proceeds are going to charity."

A collection of five fairy tales set in the Potter world, the slim book – weighing in at just 109 pages, compared with the 832 of Deathly Hallows - includes commentary from Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore, and Rowling herself. Although it featured in Deathly Hallows, where it helped Potter destroy his arch-nemesis Voldemort, the boy wizard himself has no part in this latest addition to Rowling's oeuvre.

Wonderful Wigs Children's Book Makes a Big Hit With Pediatric Cancer Community

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 02:30:00 +0000

Author Chaun Archer's first children's book brings hope and boosts the self esteem of little girls undergoing cancer therapy. The first in a series of discussion books on rare, but difficult, real life issues has already proven to be a hit!

Dec 09, 2008 – Wonderful Wigs is the first in a series of children's books that will strive to open up an indirect line of communication between parent and child to discuss life's rare but difficult issues. Written for children ages 4-10, this story is about a little girl recounting her experience with cancer, including when she lost her hair. Her mother takes her to a special wig stores, and she finds that wigs are not so bad, but more importantly, that she doesn't need a wig to be beautiful.

Childhood cancer is something that is a reality to many families. The author of these books believes that, "We must not underestimate the mind of a child. We should be able to be honest with our children without making them afraid, or downplaying what is happening to them, to the point that we ignore what is happening. Sometimes even adults have problems communicating what they feel, and when our children have questions, I feel like we should have answers; and, if we don't, we should be able to find helpful resources that can help us. Something children can relate to."

Read more

Notable Children’s Books of 2008 on NYTimes

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:44:00 +0000

Holiday Books

Notable Children’s Books of 2008

WABI SABI
By Mark Reibstein. Illustrated by Ed Young.
Little, Brown & Company Books for Young Readers. $16.99. (Ages 3 to 6)

In this book of ingeniously layered text — both narrative and haiku — and gorgeous collage art, a cat named Wabi Sabi sets out to discover the meaning of her name. Chosen by The Times as a Best Illustrated Children’s Book of 2008.

THE KINGDOM ON THE WAVES
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 2.
By M. T. Anderson.
Candlewick Press. $22.99. (Ages 14 and up)

This sequel completes the story of race and revolution told in “The Pox Party.” As Octavian Nothing, escaped from slavery, joins up with British forces in Boston, his story encompasses both the comic and the tragic with sweeping ambition.

SUNRISE OVER FALLUJAH
By Walter Dean Myers
Scholastic Press. $17.99. (Ages 12 and up)

An idealistic young soldier lands in Iraq’s deadly hall of mirrors, in a kind of sequel to Myers’s 1988 Vietnam novel, “Fallen Angels.” In this powerful new book, laced with violence but also warmth and humor, the narrator faces humanitarian missions that turn into deadly ambushes (a detonator is concealed in a tub of flour) and bears witness to the killing of friend and enemy alike.

THE HUNGER GAMES
By Suzanne Collins
Scholastic Press. $17.99. (Ages 12 and up)

A brilliantly plotted tale that begins after North American society has been decimated by climate change and war. In this world, children fight to the death in ritual games — a form of both repression and entertainment in the country of Panem. When her younger sister is picked to compete, Katniss Everdeen, a skilled hunter, makes the fateful choice to take her place.

LITTLE BROTHER
By Cory Doctorow
Tor/Tom Doherty Associates. $17.95. (Ages 13 and up)

A near-future terrorist attack hits San Francisco, and Marcus Yallow, 17, playing hooky from high school, is detained in the crackdown that follows. The experience leads him into an ingenious program of resistance and civil rights activism in a novel that is at once an entertaining thriller, a thoughtful polemic and a practical handbook of digital-age self-defense.

ABC3D
By Marion Bataille
Neal Porter/Roaring Brook Press. $19.95. (Ages 5 and up)

A simple but sophisticated idea animates this small, chunky pop-up book, which does wonders with the letters A through Z. In Bataille’s paper engineering, B doubles as 3, C flips over to become a D, U is a perfect parabola, and so on, all in bold black, white and red. This stylish and interactive work of art can be read again and again.

My very first book

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:06:00 +0000

Today I'm going to blog about the very first book I read.
I have to thank my eldest sister who loves reading and always buy new books to read. That's why I grew up reading many interesting books.
She believes reading is another way to learn about things in life and it makes a person clever.

I quite agree with her.

Ok! Back to my very first book.
I was 7 by the time I started to read books. I was never interested in reading books until one day when I saw my sister bought a new book, I started to wonder what's in the book so I borrowed it from her to read.

The very first book I'm talking about is

The Fables of La Fontaine

The one I read was a Thai version one and sorry that I don't have my own picture of it but I just don't know where my sister keeps this book. She's being too busy to find it for me.
So I'm going to use picture from Amazon then.

The name of the author is Jean de La Fontaine who was a French fabulist in the 17th Century. To be honest, I don't know much about him but if some of you guys feel like reading more about him can go the link below.

This is more details on who Jean de La Fontaine

I really liked the book because there were stories from Aesop's fables. La Fontaine wrote the stories in his own style [ poetic ]. The stories were not full of fantasies like Harry Potter but you know, full of classic stories that has some meaning and teaching behind each of them.

My very first blog

noreply@blogger.com (Miss Happy Cat) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:30:00 +0000

I'm starting this website to blog about children books I have read in my life, the books I'm reading and also my wish list. I have read hundreds of books when I was a child and I still read them now and then. My all time favorite is Mary Poppins hehe :D

One thing to say here is that ...

My English is not so so good because I'm not a native English speaker and I don't have much chance to use English in my daily life so if you could, please overlook some grammatical flaws and just enjoy the content teehee :)

I'm going to write about children books only though because it's my original intention to start a site here but if anyone wants to share your ideas or opinions about regular novels then you are welcome :)

Miss Happy Cat