You're Never Too Old For A Good Children's Book

Thanhha Lai’s debut novel "Inside Out And Back Again" leads readers of all ages to a better understanding of the experiences of refugee families. Narrated in the voice of ten year old Hà, this novel is a collection of free verse poems that mirror the Vietnamese language and present the journey of Hà’s family from Saigon to suburban Alabama in 1975. Although each page reads quickly, each stanza artfully stands alone and captures the realism of the story. Winner of the 2011 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, “Inside Out and Back Again” mixes humor and sadness as we accompany Hà along her journey. Based on the life experiences of the author, “Inside Out and Back Again” will soon be followed by a sequel that focuses on Hà’s nieces as they travel back to Vietnam. I hope that you will enjoy reading and sharing this book with readers of all ages.

--Teresa R., Sachs

2012-2013 Mark Twain Award Nominees

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Hide & Seek by Katy Grant

Half Upon a Time by James Riley

Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret

The Familiars by Adam J. Epstein 

Palace Beautiful by Sarah DeFord Williams

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea

Twenty Gold Falcons by Amy Gordon 

The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

  

Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve 

2012 Award Winners have been announced

The 2012 Award winners have been announced. If you would like more information about these awards and many more, visit this website for more information. Are any of these your favorites?


John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature:
Winner:

 “Dead End in Norvelt” 
  written by Jack Gantos












Newbery Honor Books:

"Inside Outside and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai

















"Breaking Stalin's Nose" written by Eugene Yelchin





Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:
Winner:

 “A Ball for Daisy"
 illustrated and written by Chris Raschka












Caldecott Honor Books:

  
"Blackout" written by John Rocco

"Grandpa Green" written by Lane Smith

"Me...Jane" written by Patrick McDonnell








Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:
Winner:

"Heart and Soul: the Story of America and African Americans" written by Kadir Nelson








Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books:

"The Great Migration: Journey to the North" written by Eloise Greenfield








Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:
Winner:

 “Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom” 
written and illustrated by Shane W. Evans












King Illustrator Honor Book:

  “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans”
 written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

"Big Nate Goes for Broke" by Lincoln Peirce

The next Big Nate book is on its way! Big Nate is back the fourth installment of his own super-funny series.  "Big Nate Goes for Broke" by Lincoln Peirce is scheduled for release on March 20, 2012. Place your request now.

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year begins January 23, 2012. It is the year of the black dragon. Why not celebrate with some great books?

"D is for Dragon Dance" by Ying Chang Compestine
A is for Acrobats. B is for Balls. C is for Calligraphy. D is for Dragon Dance. From firecrackers to noodles, from red envelopes to the zodiac, young readers are introduced to the exciting traditions of the Chinese New Year in this accessible and visually stunning homage to the holiday.                                             

"The Runaway Wok" by Ying Chang Compestine
On Chinese New Year's Eve, a poor man who works for the richest businessman in Beijing sends his son to market to trade their last few eggs for a bag of rice, but instead he brings home an empty--but magic--wok that changes their fortunes forever.                                             

"Me and My Dragon" by David Biedrzycki
A child tells all the reasons a small, fire-breathing dragon would make an excellent pet, and the ways to take proper care of it.                                             












   "When a Dragon Moves In" by Jodi Moore
A young boy builds a sand castle on the beach and a dragon moves in. The boy and the dragon spend the day at the shore flying a kite, braving the waves, defying bullies, and roasting marshmallows, while the boy's parents remain occupied nearby with their own pastimes. When no one believes the boy's story about the dragon, the creature launches into a mischievous mode and wreaks havoc on everything in its path-- or is it all in the boy's imagination?                                             





Or how about singing a dragon song? Try this one outside where your little ones can have lots of room.
Fly Dragon Fly
(sung to Skip to my Lou)


Fly, fly dragon fly
Fly, fly dragon fly
Fly, fly dragon fly
Way up in the sky.


Roar, roar dragon roar
Roar, roar dragon roar
Roar, roar dragon roar
Just outside the door.


Run, run dragon run
Run, run dragon run
Run, run dragon run
Try to have some fun.


Hop, hop dragon hop
Hop, hop dragon hop
Hop, hop dragon hop
Dragon, Dragon STOP!

Jelly in the Bowl Lap Rhyme

This is a great lap rhyme for young ones and older children can act out the actions while standing up.


Jelly in the Bowl


Jelly in the bowl
Jelly in the bowl
Wibble wobble, wibble wobble
Jelly in the bowl.
(Rock baby back and forth on your knee)


Candles on the cake
Candles on the cake
Blow 'em out, blow 'em out
Candles on the cake.
(Hold fingers (candles) up. As your blow them out, curl them into your fist)


Biscuits in the tin
Biscuits in the tin
Shake 'em up, shake 'em up
Biscuits in the tin.
(Gently bounce baby on your knee)

Songs about snowmen

Over the years, working with talented preschool teachers and youth specialists, I've learned many songs about snowmen for preschoolers. Here are a few of my favorites!


"I'm a Little Snowman"
(Sung to: "I'm a Little Teapot")
I'm a little snowman short and fat.
Here are my buttons, here is my hat.
When the sun comes out, I cannot play.
I just slowly melt away!


"Five Little Snowman"
Five little snowman fat (hold arms out wide)
each with a funny hat. (hands on head)
One melted down into the ground. (hands slowly go down to lap)
What do you think of that? (palms up questioning)


"Five Little Snowmen Jumping on the Sled"
(Sung to: Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed)
Five little snowmen jumping on the sled.
One fell off and bumped his head.
Frosty called the doctor and to doctor said,
"No more snowmen jumping on the sled!"


You could use fingers for the snowmen and count them down. I made this set of felt snowmen. At home, you could draw snowmen and decorate them, then act out the song. Or if you're craft and ambitious, try a felt set to reuse year after year!


--Angie R., Headquarters

"The Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion" by Brandon Mull

"The Beyonders: Seeds of Rebellion" by Brandon Mull (Fablehaven) is the second book in The Beyonders series. Jack has made it back to his world but finds himself yearning to get back to Lyrian. Meanwhile, Rachel and the others have discovered new enemies--as well as new abilities that could turn the tide of the entire quest. 
"Seeds of Rebellion" is scheduled to be available March 13, 2012. Get your request in now.

"The Serpent's Shadow" by Rick Riordan

The final Kane Chronicles book by Rick Riordan has been announced! "The Serpent's Shadow" is set for release May 1, 2012.

Carter and Sadie Kane return for more explosive encounters with Egyptian gods in the final book in the Kane Chronicles trilogy. Nothing less than the mortal world is at stake as the Kane family fulfills its destiny in this thrilling conclusion. Visit TheKaneChronicles.com for more information on "The Serpent's Shadow" and the series.

Request a copy today.

"Eleven Experiments That Failed" by Jenny Offill

"11 Experiments that Failed" by Jenny Offill offers a humorous look at the scientific method. Our main character takes the reader through each experiment with step by step instructions: 
Question: What is the best way to speed up a boring car ride?
Hypothesis: Yodeling makes time go faster.
We find out what we need for the experiment, what to do and the often calamitous results. This is a quick read and if it leaves your hungry for more, check out "17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore" by the same author.

Great Books About Winter Clothes

I know that little ones can be reluctant to put on their winter clothes. There are some great stories to help with the transition into freezing temperatures.

Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London.

Froggy's mother keeps sending him back up to his room to put on the clothes he needs to play in the snow. This one is great for predictions skills.

The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel

The main character is describing layers and layers of clothes. It makes me itchy and hot just reading about it! As a bonus, this is a rebus book, so preschoolers can actively participate in reading by using the pictures.

Red is Best by Kathy Stinson

Kelly doesn't want to wear anything but red: red boots, red hat, red mittens. This book has nice simple pictures with bright colors.




A fun craft idea following this theme would be a pair of mittens. These are just mitten outlines that I attached together with a piece of yarn. I used pieces of tissue paper to decorate them, but crayons, markers or even glitter glue or whatever you have around the house would look great. Someone suggested they would make a cute ornament for a Christmas tree, and I think they would also be a neat door knob hanger.

Enjoy!--Angie R., Headquarters

Staff Review: "Big Red Lollipop" by Rukhsana Khan; Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

"Big Red Lollipop" is a picture book about a family with three sisters. The eldest is invited to a birthday party and the middle sister, Sana, wants to go too. The eldest sister begs her mother not to make her take her Sana, but mom insists, setting off a series of conflicts between the two.

There are a lot of things going on in this short, seemingly simple tale. For one, the story features an immigrant family, so part of the misunderstanding is cultural. Also, when the mother attempts to impose what she sees as fairness on the situation, no one is happy, which we all know parents and siblings deal with everyday. In the story’s resolution, it’s the oldest sister, Rubina, is the one who finds the best solution despite her frustration with her younger sister. It’s refreshing to have a child character in a children’s book demonstrate such wisdom and maturity. Families can learn a lot from this book that explores cultural differences, sibling dynamics, jealousy, fairness, and problem-solving all in a mere 30 beautifully illustrated pages. If your family needs help with any of those issues, I highly recommend your family check out lovely children’s book together.

Other suggestions for those of you dealing with sibling rivalry:

"Who Is Your Favorite Monster, Mama?" By Barbara Shook Hazen; Illustrated by Maryann Kovalski – Harry, the oldest of three monster children, wonders if his mother loves him less now that he has younger brothers.

"Siblings: You’re Stuck with Each Other, So Stick Together" by James J. Crist, Ph.D & Elizabeth Verdick – This is a non-fiction book more for your Elementary-age siblings. It uses comedy, comics, and activities to tackle the big issues siblings have to deal with such as privacy, teasing, privileges, and fairness.