June 2007 Archives

I am gone to a meeting tomorrow (which also involves visiting our favorite kids' restaurant in Madison, Wisconsin: Ella's and going to the zoo, so don't feel badly for me.) And then I am heading out camping with the family for the week of the 4th.  Hope you all have a wonderful holiday week!  See on Monday, July 9th.

Up, Down and Around by Katherine Ayres, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott.

There is just something about gardening picture books that I adore.  Hmm.  Maybe it has something to do with my obvious love of bunny books.  Ah well.

This book by Ayres works on many levels.  It is a rollicking, rhyming book with a focus on whether a specific vegetable grows up, down or around.  There is corn, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, potatoes and pumpkins, and many more. 

With Westcott's friendly illustrations filled with smiling bugs, hungry rabbits, flitting crows, and grinning children, it is a visual treat.  Ayres' rhymes are such fun, with repetition and using the same initial sounds.  Toddlers and preschoolers will be drawn in immediately.

This picture book offers a friendly look at prepositions, a glimpse at gardening, and rhymes.  It is perfect to add to your gardening storytimes, especially for the youngest listeners. 

A Perfect Day by Remy Charlip.

A father and sun have a glorious day together just imagining, cuddling, napping, seeing friends, reading and playing together.  It is a wonderful example of a quiet book perfect for starting a conversation about quiet days spent in one another's company. 

This is a good book for toddlers and preschoolers, with its few words per page.  Parents and other adults will also enjoy it because it speaks to a day filled with quiet pursuits and not video games and TV.  Don't we all wish for more days filled with nothing but time?  I also appreciate the gentleness of the illustrations which are soft, pastel and echo the peace of the day completely. 

Recommend this one to busy families rushed off of their feet.  I would also share this as a prequel to an art project with little children who can draw pictures of their favorite quiet activity that they share with loved ones.

Bow-Wow Bugs a Bug by Mark Newgarden and Megan Montague Cash.

Now I am a complete sucker for wordless books, but this one is a very funny book that will have children from preschool to elementary school laughing out loud and sharing it with friends and family.  Look at that cover!  Don't you want a copy to take a look at right now?  (Run, don't walk, to the library!)

Bow-Wow is bothered by a bug right from the start of his day.  When the bugs leaves, Bow-Wow follows it outside and down the sidewalk.  As he follows the bug, he finds all sorts of hilarious things happening.  A spotted dog with odd spots, another dog following a bug, huge bugs and huge dogs, and much more.  The illustrations are surprising, funny and very welcoming for children.  The format of a comic strip makes it even more wonderful.  Each turn of the page will bring a new surprise and it becomes a treat to look forward to the next pair of pages. 

Bow-Wow can be offered to a wide range of ages and they will all enjoy it.  It is not for sharing with a group, because the illustrations need to be looked at closely to be fully appreciated.  Give this one to grandchildren, siblings, or save it for a day of travel.  Or just make any bedtime special as long as you are willing to risk gales of laughter.

Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett.

I had read wonderful reviews of this, and had been waiting with great impatience to finally see it.  This book is charming!  It uses the same four words in different combinations to create a silly, warm picture book.  Starting with just one word and picture on each page, the book quickly moves to strange combinations like Orange pear and Apple bear that will have kids giggling. 

I have a few favorite things about this book.  First is that it is so welcoming to emergent readers and has a limited vocabulary.  However, the book reads as if it has all of the words in the world and just happens to choose these four again and again.  Second, I love the artwork.  Unlike a lot of the books for beginning readers, this book has pictures that are not cartoony, but rather have a feel of art and depth.  It is a joy to see.  And third, the skill that it takes for an author to create a book like this is astonishing.  Applause!  Applause!

Recommended for all kindergarten classrooms, this would make a great gift for any Kindergarten teacher to have in her room.  Where else are you going to find an artistic, silly, and yes classy emergent reader?

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy.

Stephanie's beloved uncle has died and left his old house to her.  While she is there alone one night, someone tries to break in and kill her for a key.  The strange man she noticed at the funeral and at the reading of the will shows up and rescues her by shooting fire from his hands.  When his disguise slips off, she realizes he is a living skeleton.  (See cover image.)  Stephanie is drawn into a hidden world of magic, fantasy and a mystery that could destroy everything, and finds it impossible to return to her normal life of a 12-year-old girl. 

Landy has reinvented fantasy, turned it on its head, and created something entirely engaging, unique and marvelous.  Skulduggery Pleasant is a complex hero, filled with caustic wit, who is the perfect lens through which the readers and Stephanie can discover the fantasy world.  Stephanie is a protagonist with real guts and bravery, who doesn't consider herself anything special.  She is a refreshing female character, who is not overly girly or overly tomboy, but a regular girl who is thrilled to be on an adventure.  

The fantasy world that Landy has created is inventive and original, but still hearkens back to more traditional stories.  One good example of this are the vampires who are night security guards.  Landy has taken their original details, kept what he needed and discarded the rest.  In essence, he has reinvented vampires, shifting even the most embedded facts of their legends.  This demonstrates his skill as an author, because nothing is sacred or unchangeable in this novel.

Recommend this to middle schoolers who enjoy a book with a good amount of violence.  And remember, despite the fantasy setting, this violence reads as dramatically real.  This is not cartoon violence that younger good readers should be reading.  I would also recommend it to preteens and teens looking for a good, original fantasy novel.  Any kids who enjoyed The Last Apprentice Series by Joseph Delaney or Monster Blood Tattoo by DM Cornish will enjoy this one.

AfterElton, a blog that offers news and information for gay men, has a very nice article on the battle about children's books with gay themes.  The article mentions And Tango Makes Three, King & King, and The Trouble with Babies.  As a public librarian, I especially appreciated the following quote from Arthur Levine:

"Ten percent of the children's book readership, at least, will grow up to be gay or lesbian," he said to AfterElton.com. "Wouldn't it be nice if their first exposure to the idea that there are gay people in the world isn't when they're teenagers — so when little Johnny falls in love with that really cute, brainy boy in his computer class, he's grown up with the idea that it's not unusual and there's nothing wrong with that.

"And an even higher percentage of picture book readership will grow up to know and love somebody who's gay or lesbian. So when you think about it that way, a large percentage of your picture book audience can really benefit from naturalizing the idea that there are gay and lesbian people in the world. When you think about it that way, it's even more of a mystery why there aren't more of these books."

Hurrah!  I know that many librarians think they are serving only the straight in their community, but gay families, children who will realize they are gay, or families with gay loved ones all need to have a haven in their public library where their lives are mirrored and acceptable.

Nancy Pearl is back on NPR with a list of books with Great Opening Lines to Hook Young Readers. 

The books included are



Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson.



Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Lee.



Ragweed by Avi.



Fear by M.T. Anderson



Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

Make sure you listen to the clip, because Nancy's enthusiasm will completely sell you on the titles.

Digby Takes Charge by Caroline Jayne Church.

Digby is a new sheep dog who has never herded sheep before.  But how hard can it be?  There are only six of them.  But the sheep don't like Digby's style.  He tries growling at them, and they ignore him.  Then he tries using force.  Nothing, in fact the sheep are beginning to smile.  More force?  Still nothing.  It isn't until the other farm animals tell Digby the secret of how things work on this farm that he is able to get the sheep to listen to him.  Anyone know the magic word?

Adults will see the ending coming from the start, but I guarantee even adults will be shocked enough to laugh out loud at the force that Digby uses on the sheep.  My sons were in hysterics at how funny it was.  The illustrations are very accessible to children with their cartoon-like, friendly style.  In fact, the cover alone sells this book.

I highly recommend this book for reading to active preschool classes.  The illustrations will shout clearly across the room and the surprises in the middle of the story will have even the most restless little ones listening in no time.  Great for that final book of a storytime that much catch their attention.  It is also a good one for adding to dog or sheep storytimes.

20 Hungry Piggies: a number book by Trudy Harris, illustrated by Andrew N. Harris.

This picture book begins with the comforting words of the This Little Piggy rhyme.  But that's just how it begins.  From there we have skydiving piggies, ones that play music, and several who cook.  It is great fun.  Adding to the fun are the illustrations where children can find the wolf hidden in each picture until he decides to pounce. 

More than just a basic counting book to 20, this book talks in terms of first, second, third little piggies, offering preschoolers new terms for numbers.  I appreciated the way it started with the traditional rhyme and then went on from there.

Share this in a counting unit with preschoolers or kindergarteners.  You could also share it in a piggy story time.  But it will be best on someone's lap or in a small group where children can see the pictures closely enough to find the hidden wolf.

Hurrah for Adele Geras, who writes the article, "The literary universe is bigger in the blogosphere."  This part is a real gem:

"But why should we believe the blogger?" comes the cry. "Who are they
and how are they qualified to tell us what to read?" The answer is: you
should believe them and trust them in exactly the same way you would a
critic in a newspaper or literary journal. There will be some you
admire and some you think are stupid. Some bloggers write well and some
badly and so do some literary critics.

That's right!  We blog reviewers can be trusted just as much as print reviewers, in fact many of us are print reviewers too.  And bloggers just like print reviewers have varying tastes to take into account.  There are reviewers (both print and online) who I listen to no matter what.  There are others that I read, but with a large salt shaker at hand.

Philip Pullman has won the Carnegie of Carnegies where people had the chance to vote for their favorite Carnegie winner.  This was done in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Carnegie Awards.  Pullman's Northern Lights (known in the US as The Golden Compass) got 40% of the total votes. 

Here are the titles that were in contention:

Skellig by David Almond (1998)
Junk by Melvin Burgess (1996)
Storm by Kevin Crossley-Holland (1985)
A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly (2003)
The Owl Service by Alan Garner (1967)
The Family From One End Street by Eve Garnett (1937)
The Borrowers by Mary Norton (1952)
Tom's Midnight Garden Philiby ppa Pearce (1958)
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman (1995)

Elissa's Quest by Erica Verrillo.

Elissa is a thirteen-year-old who has lived with her Nana in a small village.  She doesn't know anything about her parents and Nana refuses to tell her anything.  Elissa has a gift of talking with animals, and one of her best friends is Gertrude, a donkey.  Then one fateful day, Elissa's father, a royal prince, comes and takes her away.  They travel to the Khan's fortress, where Elissa is to be used as a bargaining chip between the Khan and her father.  It is only through her own gifts and newfound courage that Elissa finds her way free of the web she is trapped in.  This is the first book in a new series.

Yes, I know the paragraph above is short on details, but one of the joys of this novel is slowly discovering its twists and turns.  Elissa is a well-drawn protagonist, a girl who would never think she was brave but finds it deep within herself.  Her young companion, Maya, is also charmingly rendered.  The adult characters are not as fully imagined as the child characters, but young readers shouldn't mind that.  There is a strong sense of mysticism in the novel, creating a deeper experience than many fantasy novels for youth.

This is the perfect book for tweens.  With a protagonist who's a teenager, tweens should really enjoy reading this.  Yet it doesn't have the sexuality or dark violence of a fully teen novel. 

Share this book with tweens who enjoy Tamora Pierce.  This is a new female warrior of a different type that they will enjoy rooting for.

This Is a Poem that Heals Fish by Jean-Pierre Simeon, illustrated by Olivier Tallec.

Arthur's fish is not looking well, in fact Arthur is quite worried that the fish could die of boredom.  His mother suggests giving the fish a poem.  First, Arthur searches the house for a poem and doesn't find anything.  Then he heads out into the community to ask people what a poem is.  He gets answers like this one from the lady who works in the bakery: "it is hot like fresh bread.  When you eat it, a little is always left over."  But even with this advice, he really doesn't understand what a poem is until he is forced to try to revive his fish all on his own.  And the fish has a poem for him too.

This rather strange picture book doesn't hit its stride until page 14.  The beginning sets the stage, but also has a rather odd part where noodles and a rag talk.  Anyway, once the story gets moving, it is lovely.  I truly enjoyed the different definitions of what a poem is and how they all weave together into Arthur's.  The illustrations are filled with deep colors and interesting perspectives.  They suit the story perfectly.

This is a great book to use when working with children and poems.  It will give children the confidence to create their own poetry and to find it in their own worlds.  What more could you ask for?

Amy Keroes is a mother who was searching for good reads for her children.  She wanted books that offered positive and believable characters for her son and daughter.  Out of her search came the Anti-Princess Reading List, a collection of picture books that feature strong girls in lead roles.  Her site also offers books that feature working mothers and book for babies.  If you are a working parent yourself, she also has lots of parent reads she recommends.  

PhillyBurbs.com has the news that despite Stan Berenstain's death in 2005, the Berenstain series will continue.  Son Mike Berenstain is an illustrator who writes most of the series now.  In the article, he talks about how Dr. Seuss changed his parents' work:

It was Geisel who advised Mike's parents, Stan and
Jan Berenstain — primarily cartoonists — to make the Berenstain Bears a
series rather than a single book. The couple had intended to write
about penguins next.

Imagine that!

The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli.

Take one look at the cover of the book, and you can get the sense of exactly how this book reads.  It is a friendly, silly, imaginative book about a toddler who receives a box for his birthday.  When he unwraps the paper, he is thrilled to find a box that has a stuffed dog inside it.  He names the dog Oscar and they immediately set off on adventures based on the box. 

My favorite part of the book is the ending where the thrill of having a cardboard box is not broken, but sustained.  Perfect.  I also liked the way that the real present of the stuffed dog is incorporated into the child's play, but just isn't the center of it.  The illustrations are cartoony and friendly, perfect for toddlers.

Recommended for toddlers, but make sure to have a large cardboard box on hand in case it inspires them!  This book will work for a group of toddlers as well, because it combines two fascinations:  boxes and birthdays.

Whale by David Lucas.

Joe is asleep in bed when there is a sudden crash and his whole house tips sideways.  It turns out that a huge whale has beached and landed on the town.  No one knows what to do to fix the problem.  Joe asks the Owl who asks the Wind who asks the Sun and finally after a few more steps the Innumerable Stars are consulted.  And the Stars recommend that everyone sing the Rain Song.  Though there are people who don't think it will work, they try it.  And the whale is free.  The town was still smashed to pieces until the sea creatures come to help.

The art of this book is wonderful.  It has a folksy feel to it that is warm and embracing.  I especially enjoy the pages filled with panels that move the story forward, such as the page where Joe notices the very large eye filling his window.  I also loved the size of the whale being so immense and amazing above the smashed buildings of the town. 

Lubar has written prose that goes beautifully with the art.  It has rhythm that is not intrusive but can still be clearly felt.  The device of asking the Owl, the Wind, etc. for advice ties the story to folktales, deepening the connection with the illustrative style. 

This one will fly off of library shelves due to the huge whale on the cover.  It would be a great addition to story times for Kindergartens and preschoolers on sea life, folktales, or just for fun.  This is definitely worth sharing.

The Christian Science Monitor has posted several articles about children's lit.  The books covered include Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson and  Where's the Cake by T.T. Khing.  There are also picture book recommendations, pirate books, an audio book, and mysteries.  Enjoy!

The Telegraph offers a list of a twelve books to read before you are twelve year old.  The list was reviewed by Ingrid Hopson, librarian of the year for the School Library Association, and it is WONDERFUL!

Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick

Cloud Busting, by Malorie Blackman

Dream On, by Bali Rai

Evil Inventions (Horrible Science), by Nick Arnold

Framed, by Frank Cottrell Boyce

A Dog Called Grk, by Joshua Doder

I, Coriander, by Sally Gardner (Hurrah!  This was a favorite of mine!)

Journey to the River Sea, by Eva Ibbotson 

Mortal Engines, by Philip Reeve 

The Ring of Words – An Anthology of Poetry, selected by Roger McGough 

Saffy’s Angel, by Hilary McKay (YES! Loved this one and the others in the series!)

Unbelievable!, by Paul Jennings 

Ginger Bear by Mini Grey.

One can't go wrong with a picture book by Mini Grey, author of The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon and Traction Man Is Here!

Ginger Bear was published in Great Britain in 2004, but has just made its debut here in the United States.  The story is about Horace who gets a lump of dough from his mother and a bear-shaped cookie cutter.  Horace gives the bear eyes and a nose out of currants and plans to eat it right away.  But things keep delaying him eating the cookie until finally he has to put it next to his pillow and plan on eating it the next morning.  But in the night, Ginger Bear wakes up.  He heads to the kitchen and makes an assortment of friends out of dough and decorations.  They create a circus right in the kitchen but disaster strikes and Ginger Bear is forced to find a place that is safe for a cookie to be.

I loved this book.  Like the other picture books Grey has done, this one has humor that is spot on.  I laughed out loud at what Horace usually does with dough his mother gives him.  When he brings it back "it was deep gray and fluffy (and quite a lot smaller.)"  Grey's illustrations are also wonderful.  I especially enjoyed the horror of Ginger Bear looking down at the disaster in the kitchen.  Tragic but also very funny. 

I would recommend this picture book for slightly older readers.  Kindergarteners and first graders will enjoy it, but second and third graders will get all of the sly wit.  If you are doing a cooking unit in your classroom, I would have this ready to read as they munch afterwards.  It also makes for a very un-Christmasy holiday read.  Definitely one you want to seek out and read.  It's a real treat.

School Library Journal has an interview with Lois Lowry in their latest magazine (it is also available online.)  Lowry is one of my favorite authors, as I have probably mentioned here before.  Her Giver and Gossamer are both truly stunning novels that open young readers up to new worlds.  The interview focuses primarily on The Giver, which is a real treat.

Stephen Hawking, author of A Brief History of Time, is writing a novel for middle-graders.  The book, George's Secret Key to the Universe, will be published this fall.  I look forward to handing this one to my son who is fascinated by quantum physics. 

Whole World by Christopher Corr and Fred Penner.

Just look at that cover and you will know how bright and vibrant this book is.  It shouts out with the various skin colors, places on earth, and the joy of the earth itself.  Perfect match with the song. 

I always enjoy picture books based on songs.  I think they offer a perfect bridge into books for children.  So get your singing voice warmed up and you can get even the wiggliest kids to pay attention and even join in.  On the accompanying CD, you get the song sung by Fred Penner and also a version with only music so you can sing along if you choose.  I always prefer to just sing aloud myself, because then the kids feel free to make their own mistakes.  ;)

Share this one with toddlers and preschoolers who will enjoy the bright colors and the music. 

My Dog Is as Smelly as Dirty Socks: and other funny family portraits by Hanoch Piven. 

It all starts with a family portrait that a child draws which she thinks doesn't really portray all of the qualities of her family.  So instead she creates pictures out of objects that show a special quality of that family member.  The father is as jumpy as a spring, the mother as soft as the softest fluff, her younger brother is as sneaky as a snake, the dog is as stinky as an onion.  This is a winning concept.  The final portraits of each member are silly and fun, but also demonstrate an artistic concept as well as the use of metaphors. 

I would share this book with elementary age children working on metaphors and similes.  I would also recommend it for a jumping off point for art projects, perhaps family portraits made with found objects?  A gateway to folk art?  All sorts of options here.

You may want to take this quiz to see which Peanuts character you are.  I found it scarily accurate!  My husband has always said that I have Lucy's personality.  And I must admit that it's true...

I tend to be bossy (hence the director job).
I tend to enjoy rather cruel jokes (and would have pulled the football away from my younger brothers given any chance at all).
I am very opinionated (hence the book reviews).

Embrace your inner Lucy! 

Thanks to Liz for the link!

The New Jersey Star-Ledger has a great article about the power of fantasy books for children.  They interview professor Michael Levy from University of Wisconsin Stout, who specializes in YA lit. 

The article is full of good quotes and thoughts that will make you cheer.  Here's my favorite:

"People talk about it as escapist, but it is also a
way of dealing with real problems," Levy says.
"Harry Potter is every kid who's ever been
picked on by a bully, who's had to deal with someone
of the opposite sex. It helps them feel they're not
alone, that they can find solutions. They can't find
magical solutions, but they can find solutions."

Augustus and His Smile by Catherine Rayner. 

Augustus the tiger was sad.  So he went off to find his smile.  On his way, he found shiny insects, birds, mountains, fish, and gets caught in a rain storm.  And finally, there in a puddle, he finds his smile.  He learns that his smile is always with him as long as he takes the time to explore and find happiness wherever he is.

This book has marvelous illustrations that are a great mix of brilliant art and child-friendly subjects.  I also enjoyed the way that the words on many of the pages suit the subject.  They are zigzagging with the mountain tops, waving in the water, and falling with the rain.  The entire book is well designed and well written.

I love a book that presents feelings as things that are under your control.  It offers an empowering look at emotions.  Use this with preschoolers and kindergartners for both tiger stories and for stories on feelings.

Shrinking Sam by Miriam Latimer.

As Sam begins his morning, he realizes he is shrinking.  When he tries to tell his parents about it, they are too busy to listen to him.  The dog sneezes on him and blows him up the stairs where he takes a bath in the sink floating on the soap.  He is then sucked down the drain to find himself outside near another child who has also shrunk down.  She helps Sam get back home through the drier vent.  The dog finds him there and gives him a friendly lick and Sam finds himself growing larger again.  He grows bigger and bigger as his family gathers around him.

I liked that the parents in the book were not cruel or awful, just busy.  As parents we have all had mornings (or afternoons) where we don't lavish enough attention on our children.  This allowed the story to be about a normal family rather than a dysfunctional one.  The illustrations are bright and friendly and will work well with a group. 

This book is a great gateway to a conversation with children about the times when they feel small or lonely or ignored. 

The Mail Tribune of Southern Oregon has an article about the new program starting in Jackson County to share books community wide.  It's called Books for Kids.  Children can come each weekday as well as on Saturdays to either exchange books or borrow them.  It will be done on the honor system with no formal check out.  Sounds great huh?

Well, that's only until you realize that this is the same Jackson County that just voted to NOT support its public library system and decided to close their libraries.  In that light, this is pretty freakin' pathetic compared to a full-service library that was just voted into extinction. 

What about older children?  Those who read independently?  What about teens?  Computers?  Magazines?  Life long learning?  Large print?  DVDs?  Newspapers?  What about all of those things that make a library so much more than a shelf of books for little children!  For heaven sakes, what about programming?  What about skilled librarians to work with children?  What about reader advisory?  Reference? 

What makes me furious are the quotes:

Sue McKenna, Medford Parks and Recreation supervisor, said she thinks it's a "great idea." "It's actually something we wanted to get started," she said. "It's a perfect fit at a perfect time."

Dexter Bexley and the Big Blue Beastie by Joel Stewart. 

Stewart's art is the winner in this story of a boy who bumps into a Big Blue Beastie who wants to eat him up.  Dexter comes up with a series of adventures that they could go on together instead of the Beastie eating him.  They ride scooters, form a company, solve mysteries, eat large amounts of ice cream, and more.  The ending is sweet but not saccharine.

I love that the author has really thought outside of the norm when coming up with ideas of what the boy could tempt the Beastie with.  Often it is just food, perhaps a game, but here it is the formation of a flower delivery business, scooter rides and mysteries.  I think that almost anyone would be tempted away from hunger with those options.  I particularly liked the montage of mysteries that they solved together with all of the zany names each like a small glimpse of a complete story. 

This would make a nice readaloud, but I would particularly recommend it for reading to a few kids in an intimate setting.  It is that type of warm, cozy book that should be shared along with a hug.

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg.

This is a graphic novel featuring Jane whose life changes when she is in Metro City and a bomb falls.  She is scraped up from the incident, but profoundly affected.  Her parents move with her to the suburbs for safety.  But Jane finds it hard to fit in and continues writing to a man who was found next to her on the sidewalk when the bomb fell.  He is in a coma and no one has identified him.  Jane pours her heart out to him in letters as she slowly makes a group of friends who become the Plain Janes, and perform guerrilla art throughout their suburban community. 

This is a great book.  It has so many dimensions working together.  First, the fear of attack and the search for safey.  The finding of real friends and peers in a high school.  The need to express one's self through art.  And it ties them all up into a very digestible and friendly bundle. 

The entire book rocks with great writing and wonderful art.  It is a graphic novel that is purely American but has the feel of manga.  I can see it being a gateway book to manga and the graphic novel genre for many teen girls. 

This one definitely deserves a place on library shelves across the country. 

Today is Anne Frank's birthday.  Here on Earth, a program on Wisconsin Public Radio, offers a program on Rutka Laskier's diary.  Ruska's diary has just been discovered and published.  She was a 14-year-old Polish Jew killed in Auschwitz who is being called the Polish Anne Frank. 

Just the story of her half sister discovering that her father had previous children who were killed in the Holocaust is enough to cause chills. 

The program will be available to listen to in the next day or so. 

Scholastic and Disney are venturing into the world of ebooks for children.  Targeting schools and libraries, Scholastic's BookFlix pairs nonfiction ebooks with short online movies.  Disney is aiming straight for families and will allow downloads of books for a fee.  Should be interesting to see if either of the plans works with consumers.  It will all depend on cost for both companies. 

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry.

There is something so very approachable and wonderful about this book.  Children will see the cover and just have to take it home with them.  Mine wouldn't let it rest on our pile of books to read once they spotted it.

It is the story of a giant shrimp who is very sure that he is the biggest thing in the entire ocean.  Bigger than shrimp, bigger than jellyfish, crabs, turtles.  But he might just be wrong!  The illustrations are simple, wonderfully big and bright, and are perfect to read to a very large crowd because they will project well across a room.  The story is perfectly simple and short with a nice twist.

Recommended for any age of story time.  This book is also a great read for emergent readers who will like the short sentences on each page and the repetition.  It reads like a very basic reader, but has the marvelous illustrations that take it to another level. 

Bob and Otto by Robert O. Bruel, illustrated by Nick Bruel. 

Bob, a caterpillar, and Otto, a worm, were very good friends.  They both liked digging in the ground, eating leaves, and playing in the grass under a big tree.  But then Bob feels the need to go up into the tree and Otto disagrees, deciding to go down under the tree into the ground.  While they are apart, Bob turns into a butterfly but nothing happens to Otto.  How will Otto feel when they are reunited?

This is a sweet story that is strengthened by the repetition of the prose when the characters are climbing or digging.  The book's illustrations are also strong, focusing on life up in the tree and deep below the ground.  The parallel frames are very effective. 

This book will be great with two different age groups.  First, for storytimes with toddlers, this book is ideal.  Add it to your butterfly story pile or for a great addition to insect storytimes.  But wait!  It will also work well for emergent readers.  Even the most early of readers will be able to read the repetitious parts and it may encourage them to read on beyond those sections.  Read on!

The Nancy Drew movie comes out this Friday.  You can find all sorts of articles about the film, the real author of the series, Nancy's fashion, and star Emma Roberts. 

Visit the movie's homepage to view a trailer, see photos, download wallpapers, screensaver or buddy icons, or read Emma's blog.

Michael Rosen has been named the British Children's Laureate.  An author for over 30 years, Rosen has written some of the all-time favorite books of many.  Story times just wouldn't be the same if we couldn't read restless toddlers We're Going on a Bear Hunt.  And if you haven't read Michael Rosen's Sad Book, then run run run and get your hands on it.  It is a treat to see an author with this range of quality writing get an honor like this. 

Got an email today from Cheryl Rainfield, who does a great job of providing book reviews of picture books and books for teens.  She has great taste in books, clever titles, interesting subject grouping, and a friendly written style.  She gives each title a star rating, but so many of her choices are winners that it is hard to go wrong. 

ReadingRockets is a very useful site for getting children ready to read.  They offer strategies for struggling readers that allow parents and teachers to find answers to specific issues, techniques for teaching reading, a collection of recommended authors and books, plus links to podcasts, webcasts and blogs.  This is the place to go even if your child isn't struggling with reading.

This site has digital copies of almost 400 rare books.  You can find books by Galileo, Copernicus, Einstein, and Shakespeare.  There is also the complete Poor Richard's Almanac by Benjamin Franklin and rare editions of the Gutenberg Bible.  Towards the top, under category, those of us interested in children's lit can choose just those titles.  You will find many Lewis Carroll titles in a variety of languages as well as titles from the Bodleian Library in Oxford.  Very interesting and you don't have to sneeze from the dust this way.