First chapter books are great for those children in between chapter books and picture books. The books jump quickly into plot and explain vocabulary along the way to really boost young children's reading skills and helps get them ready for chapter books. These books also still have pictures, but frequently they are black and white and not on every page to help ease the transition.
Mary Pope Osborne has published 45 Magic Tree House Books and doesn't plan to stop there which is a blessing for so many kids because they just love her first chapter books. The Knight at Dawn is the second book in this series and follows Jack and Annie as they travel through books to the time of knights and castles. Jack and Annie have recently discovered a tree house not far from their home and inside this wondrous place they found books that can transport them to the time and place of the pictures in the book. Jack and Annie head to a castle in this installment and find themselves in trouble when some guards assume they are thieves or spies. I won't spoil it for you, but pick up this book to see how Jack and Annie get out of their precarious situation.
It's no surprise that Dan Gutman is a popular author in first chapter books around Baltimore County because in 2002 he won the Black-Eyed Susan Award for his book Jackie and Me. He also won in 2003-2004 for his book The Million Dollar Kick. Dan Gutman like to make people laugh and it shows in his book Mr. Sunny is Funny which is about the Summer exploits of Arlo or A.J. No one could be happier about the Summer season than A.J. mainly because he gets to be out of school and away from his classmate Andrea. You can imagine his reaction when A.J.'s mother tells them that Andrea and her family will be staying at their summer beach house. Arlo's mood improves when after a while his friends come to join him as well and the book follows their exploits through the beginning of summer.
Who hasn't heard of Barbara Park and her Junie B. Jones series. Junie B. Jones has even made it's way to New York times bestselling list and Park herself has won over 40 children's book awards. The 18th installment of the Junie B. Jones series is Junie B., First Grader (at last!). In this book Junie B. starts her first day of first grade and discovers that things are going to be different than last year. Her friends from the previous year seem to have made new friends and she has a different teacher. It's not long before Junie B. decides that she does not like first grade especially when her new teacher discovers that Junie B. needs glasses. As it first grade wasn't hard enough! You'll have to pick the book up and read to see if her year gets better. No spoilers here.
Ron Roy published his first book in 1978 and has been writing ever since. He has written popular series such as the A to Z mysteries and the Calendar Mysteries. June Jam is a Calendar Mystery about twin brothers Brian and Bradley as well as their older brother Josh who have to do chores to earn some evening ice cream. The boys invite their friends over to help with the chores and partake of the highly anticipated ice cream. While doing chores Bradley comes up with the idea to make strawberry jam for their dad on fathers day which is the following day. Everyone agrees that this is a great idea until they discover that something has been eating their strawberries. The boys and their friends quickly decide that they will have to catch this berry eating monster to salvage the garden, but their efforts are thwarted time and again. Will the children be able to catch this destroyer of gardens and what will they do for fathers day?
Jim Benton is not only an author of children's books, but an illustrator as well. He is diverse in his endeavors and his Dear Dumb Diary series along has sold millions of books to young readers and earned him a place on the coveted New York Times bestseller list. Dear Dumb Diary, My Pants Are Haunted! is the second title in the series. This book and the rest of this series are written in diary format with pictures to accompany the text. The series follows Jamie Kelly as she rants and raves to her dumb diary. In this particular book her schools popularity ladder has gone out of whack possibly because of some haunted pants and they turn out to be her only pair of pants left because her beagle has eaten holes in her other pairs, or so she believes. Jamie has to manage school, mistreat her dog, figure out her friend and deal with her mom and no one is a better listener than her dumb diary. This is a cute book for beginning readers and if you're looking for other diary style books you may want to check out the Dork Diaries series by Rachel Russell or the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
More popular beginning reader authors
Syd Hoff passed away in 2004 and in his time wrote and illustrated more than 100 books. His work is so enjoyable that though some of his children's books were written long ago he is still in the top 50 beginning reader authors in Batimore County. His book The Horse in Harry's Room is about an imaginative little boy who believes he has an invisible horse in his room that only he can see. People try to tell him that his horse is imaginary, but Harry believes so strongly that he doesn't pay any mind to the comments. This is a cute book with illustrations that make me reminisce about the books I read when I was a kid and I'm glad to see that young ones still enjoying these books.
David Adler circulates quite a bit in Baltimore County. His book Bones and the Roller Coaster Mystery is illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. In this book Bones and his grandfather go to the fair where his grandfather buys 10 tickets for rides and games and 2 tickets to ride the roller coaster. After having played two games and ridden the merry-go-round they discover that the roller coaster tickets are missing and Bones slips into his detective mode to uncover what has happened to those two blue tickets. This beginning reader is a level two and good for all young ones and particularly good for a car ride to the fair.
Victoria Kann is in high demand regarding beginning reader books. Pinkalicious Soccer Star is most definitely written with girly girls in mind. In this book Pinkalicious gets a pink soccer ball, but when her team is pitted against the Ravens she over hears them saying that pink stinks and she decides to show them just how much pink does not stink. As she plays her imagination runs wild and she sees other girl soccer players from around the world who reaffirm that pink doesn't stink in a few other languages. I like the cultural aspect to this level one beginning reader.
Alyssa Satin Capucilli is best known for her biscuit series of children's books. Her book Scat Cat is illustrated by Paul Meisel. This is a "My First" book for the beginning reader book and has very few and simple words for those young ones just starting out in their reading adventure. This book follows a poor little cat that accidentally wanders away from home. I feel so bad for this little cat who hear "scat, cat!" from all the animals he wanders into on his trek. He is pleasantly surprised when he wakes up the next morning. I won't tell you what happens, but it has a happy ending.
Cynthia Rylant is a prolific children's author and a favorite among beginning readers. Her book Annie and Snowball and the Cozy Nest is a level two book that is illustrated by Sucie Stevenson. In this story Annie likes to sit on her porch swing and watch the crafting of a birds nest. She is eagerly anticipating the arrival of it's occupants and the eggs that are sure to follow.
David Adler circulates quite a bit in Baltimore County. His book Bones and the Roller Coaster Mystery is illustrated by Barbara Johansen Newman. In this book Bones and his grandfather go to the fair where his grandfather buys 10 tickets for rides and games and 2 tickets to ride the roller coaster. After having played two games and ridden the merry-go-round they discover that the roller coaster tickets are missing and Bones slips into his detective mode to uncover what has happened to those two blue tickets. This beginning reader is a level two and good for all young ones and particularly good for a car ride to the fair.
Victoria Kann is in high demand regarding beginning reader books. Pinkalicious Soccer Star is most definitely written with girly girls in mind. In this book Pinkalicious gets a pink soccer ball, but when her team is pitted against the Ravens she over hears them saying that pink stinks and she decides to show them just how much pink does not stink. As she plays her imagination runs wild and she sees other girl soccer players from around the world who reaffirm that pink doesn't stink in a few other languages. I like the cultural aspect to this level one beginning reader.
Alyssa Satin Capucilli is best known for her biscuit series of children's books. Her book Scat Cat is illustrated by Paul Meisel. This is a "My First" book for the beginning reader book and has very few and simple words for those young ones just starting out in their reading adventure. This book follows a poor little cat that accidentally wanders away from home. I feel so bad for this little cat who hear "scat, cat!" from all the animals he wanders into on his trek. He is pleasantly surprised when he wakes up the next morning. I won't tell you what happens, but it has a happy ending.
Cynthia Rylant is a prolific children's author and a favorite among beginning readers. Her book Annie and Snowball and the Cozy Nest is a level two book that is illustrated by Sucie Stevenson. In this story Annie likes to sit on her porch swing and watch the crafting of a birds nest. She is eagerly anticipating the arrival of it's occupants and the eggs that are sure to follow.
Popular Authors in Beginning Reader Books
Herman Parish is a well liked author in the Baltimore County and he collaborates with illustrator Lynne Avril in his book Amelia Bedelia Hits the Trail, a beginning reader level one. In this book Amelia goes on a hike with her class and while on her hike she misunderstands words that have two meanings or are pronounced differently when plural providing caregivers the opportunity to help their child with vocabulary and grammar.
The Berenstain Bear have always been some of my favorite books and there are so many more to choose from these days. The Berenstain Bears We Love Trucks! is written and illustrated by Jan and Mike Berenstain. In this book the cubs get to go on a drive with Grizzly Gramps to the farm where he is going to pick up fruit. On the drive the cubs get to see all sorts of different kinds of trucks while visiting people on the road. This level one beginning reader is great for anyone who likes the Berenstain Bears, but especially grrreat for those little ones who love trucks.
Mo Willems is popular and doesn't disappont with I Am Going! In this Elephant and Piggie book, Piggie decides that it's time to go and when he lets Elephant know, Elephant freaks out! Elephant is terrified that if Piggie goes he will have no one to hangout with. Elephant begs and pleads with Piggie to stay, but Piggie is determined to go. What is it that could be so important that Piggie must go? You'll have to read to find out.
Dr. Seuss books have been a standard in many homes for decades and in this book, Would you rather be a Bullfrog? he is writing as Theo. LeSieg and the book is illustrated by Roy McKie. This book asks terribly important questions such as would you rather be a cat or a dog? A bullfrog or a butterfly. Dr. Seuss is incredibly well liked and as with all of Seuss's books this one has wonderful rhyming and also each page asks a question making this a very interactive book and though the questions are silly, whether you're an adult or a child, it does make you think. Would you rather be a bird that sings or a bee that stings, a hammer or a nail. The questions are goofy, but your answers do say something about you. This is an intriguing book that I could see using for story time to get kids engaged.
Tedd Arnold has adorable illustrations and storyline. I very much enjoy the fly guy series. Buzz Boy And Fly Guy is a book about Buzz making a story about Buzz and Fly Guy becoming superheroes. In Buzz's story Fly Guy and Buzz are the same size and they can both fly. Their house is taken away, by pirates, to a cave where a sleeping dragon awaits. How will Buzz Boy and Fly Guy get out of this mess? I won't spoil the story for you. What kiddo doesn't dream of being a superhero? This book is great for any beginning reader.
The Berenstain Bear have always been some of my favorite books and there are so many more to choose from these days. The Berenstain Bears We Love Trucks! is written and illustrated by Jan and Mike Berenstain. In this book the cubs get to go on a drive with Grizzly Gramps to the farm where he is going to pick up fruit. On the drive the cubs get to see all sorts of different kinds of trucks while visiting people on the road. This level one beginning reader is great for anyone who likes the Berenstain Bears, but especially grrreat for those little ones who love trucks.
Mo Willems is popular and doesn't disappont with I Am Going! In this Elephant and Piggie book, Piggie decides that it's time to go and when he lets Elephant know, Elephant freaks out! Elephant is terrified that if Piggie goes he will have no one to hangout with. Elephant begs and pleads with Piggie to stay, but Piggie is determined to go. What is it that could be so important that Piggie must go? You'll have to read to find out.
Dr. Seuss books have been a standard in many homes for decades and in this book, Would you rather be a Bullfrog? he is writing as Theo. LeSieg and the book is illustrated by Roy McKie. This book asks terribly important questions such as would you rather be a cat or a dog? A bullfrog or a butterfly. Dr. Seuss is incredibly well liked and as with all of Seuss's books this one has wonderful rhyming and also each page asks a question making this a very interactive book and though the questions are silly, whether you're an adult or a child, it does make you think. Would you rather be a bird that sings or a bee that stings, a hammer or a nail. The questions are goofy, but your answers do say something about you. This is an intriguing book that I could see using for story time to get kids engaged.
Tedd Arnold has adorable illustrations and storyline. I very much enjoy the fly guy series. Buzz Boy And Fly Guy is a book about Buzz making a story about Buzz and Fly Guy becoming superheroes. In Buzz's story Fly Guy and Buzz are the same size and they can both fly. Their house is taken away, by pirates, to a cave where a sleeping dragon awaits. How will Buzz Boy and Fly Guy get out of this mess? I won't spoil the story for you. What kiddo doesn't dream of being a superhero? This book is great for any beginning reader.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
More Easy Nonfiction Books
I Love You! A Bushel and A Peck is written by Frank Loesser and illustrationed by Rosemary Wells. This book has adorable farm illustrations and can be read to the tune of "A Bushel and a Peck" making this a good book to read at bedtime. What parent or guardian doesn't love their child a bushel and a peck and with this book you can let them know just how much you love them.
Kids Go! is a cute book with illustration by Pascal Campion that make me think of Curious George and not just because there are monkeys involved. This book challenges kids to get up and get. It tells them to get up off of their couch, chair or floor and go jump like a monkey. I like the premise of the book and may use it for future story times to get kids up off the floor and get the moving a bit; however I thought it was odd that it had an accompanying DVD with a song that sings the book. I like the song a lot and would love to use that in story time too, but it seems like a DVD is giving mixed messages because if kids are going to watch the DVD then they are stationary in order to do it when the whole point of the book is to get up and go. I do really like the message of the book, I just thought this was an oddity.
Night Creatures is a level 2 reader by scholastic and Wade Cooper. This book is good for children just learning to read. There is a note in the front to parents and guardians on how you can utilize this book to help you child with early literacy skills. The book tells readers about the animals that come out at night and what they like to eat. There is a quiz at the back to develop reading comprehension skills and activities to help build vocabulary. The book is filled with photographs of the animals making this book a win win because it's fun and educational.
There is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me is written by the popular adult author Alice Walker and the illustrations are by Stefano Vitale. This beautifully written book is a note of thanks from the author to the world as indicated in the author note in the back. The book has bright and imaginative illustrations that are fantastical and at the same time grounded. The book has one sentence to a page and is brilliant for young readers. This would be a good bedtime story because of how the words flow and you can almost hear a strong, low voice saying the words.
Before John was a Jazz Giant is written by Carole Weatherford and illustrated by Sean Qualls. This is an easy biography about the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane and what he was like before he was a giant. The book illustrates how he listened to what was going on around him and how this was his inspiration. The book is told with simple words and about one sentence to a page. The graphics have deep colors, simple pictures with expressive faces. This book would be great for any small child, but especially one who has a love of music.
Kids Go! is a cute book with illustration by Pascal Campion that make me think of Curious George and not just because there are monkeys involved. This book challenges kids to get up and get. It tells them to get up off of their couch, chair or floor and go jump like a monkey. I like the premise of the book and may use it for future story times to get kids up off the floor and get the moving a bit; however I thought it was odd that it had an accompanying DVD with a song that sings the book. I like the song a lot and would love to use that in story time too, but it seems like a DVD is giving mixed messages because if kids are going to watch the DVD then they are stationary in order to do it when the whole point of the book is to get up and go. I do really like the message of the book, I just thought this was an oddity.
Night Creatures is a level 2 reader by scholastic and Wade Cooper. This book is good for children just learning to read. There is a note in the front to parents and guardians on how you can utilize this book to help you child with early literacy skills. The book tells readers about the animals that come out at night and what they like to eat. There is a quiz at the back to develop reading comprehension skills and activities to help build vocabulary. The book is filled with photographs of the animals making this book a win win because it's fun and educational.
There is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me is written by the popular adult author Alice Walker and the illustrations are by Stefano Vitale. This beautifully written book is a note of thanks from the author to the world as indicated in the author note in the back. The book has bright and imaginative illustrations that are fantastical and at the same time grounded. The book has one sentence to a page and is brilliant for young readers. This would be a good bedtime story because of how the words flow and you can almost hear a strong, low voice saying the words.
Before John was a Jazz Giant is written by Carole Weatherford and illustrated by Sean Qualls. This is an easy biography about the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane and what he was like before he was a giant. The book illustrates how he listened to what was going on around him and how this was his inspiration. The book is told with simple words and about one sentence to a page. The graphics have deep colors, simple pictures with expressive faces. This book would be great for any small child, but especially one who has a love of music.
Children's Easy Nonfiction
It's Snowing by Gail Gibbons is an easy nonfiction book about snow. This book gives some good information about snow, but in a way that is easily understood and yet I learned something too. I like that this book mixes some good practical information, such as what to where when it's cold, and factual information about snow such as how it is formed and what temperature it has to be before snow melts etc. The pictures for this book will make anyone start dreaming of Christmas or long for a good snowball fight.
It's A Small World has words and music by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman while the illustrations are by Joey Chou. This is a sweet book about understanding that that though there are difference between people we are actually a lot a like and share this small world that we live on. The the illustrations are adorable and very bright. There are just short sentences to each page making this book great for very young children. The book comes with a CD as well, but the CD just has the tune to It's a Small World After All and there are no words so a reader could read the book to the tune of the music, but the book can stand alone as well.
In the Town is created by Roger Priddy. This is a lift-the-flap book of shadows. This book is very interactive as each lift-the-flap has a Shadow on it which allows children to see if they can figure out what it is with the answer and corresponding word underneath. Then each page asks, with short sentences, which of the objects or people on the page is appropriate for certain situations such as which vehicle can take you around town. The book helps caregivers work with their child not just on words, but on comprehension as well. This easy nonfiction book would be great for very young children.
Lenore Finds a Friend is by best selling author Jon Katz. This is a true story about a puppy that goes to live at bedlam farm and being new to the farm she tries to make friends. The book has a good lesson hidden in it showing kids that sometimes it can be difficult to make friends, but don't give up and you will succeed. Lenore eventually befriends a ram named Brutus and after she has one friends she continues to put herself out there and make more friends. The words are accompanied by photographs of bedlam farm that show the progression of Lenore's efforts. This book has one or two short and easy sentences to a page and adorable animals that are endearing to anyone.
What Will Hatch is written by Jennifer Ward and illustrated by Susie Ghahremani. This book is a very simple introduction to some of the animals that come from eggs. There are just a couple words to each page and very cute pictures with earth tones. Each page also has a little cut out illustrating the eggs size. This book is great for young children and also provides a bit of additional information on the last page for older children that even even as an adult I was unaware of.
It's A Small World has words and music by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman while the illustrations are by Joey Chou. This is a sweet book about understanding that that though there are difference between people we are actually a lot a like and share this small world that we live on. The the illustrations are adorable and very bright. There are just short sentences to each page making this book great for very young children. The book comes with a CD as well, but the CD just has the tune to It's a Small World After All and there are no words so a reader could read the book to the tune of the music, but the book can stand alone as well.
In the Town is created by Roger Priddy. This is a lift-the-flap book of shadows. This book is very interactive as each lift-the-flap has a Shadow on it which allows children to see if they can figure out what it is with the answer and corresponding word underneath. Then each page asks, with short sentences, which of the objects or people on the page is appropriate for certain situations such as which vehicle can take you around town. The book helps caregivers work with their child not just on words, but on comprehension as well. This easy nonfiction book would be great for very young children.
Lenore Finds a Friend is by best selling author Jon Katz. This is a true story about a puppy that goes to live at bedlam farm and being new to the farm she tries to make friends. The book has a good lesson hidden in it showing kids that sometimes it can be difficult to make friends, but don't give up and you will succeed. Lenore eventually befriends a ram named Brutus and after she has one friends she continues to put herself out there and make more friends. The words are accompanied by photographs of bedlam farm that show the progression of Lenore's efforts. This book has one or two short and easy sentences to a page and adorable animals that are endearing to anyone.
What Will Hatch is written by Jennifer Ward and illustrated by Susie Ghahremani. This book is a very simple introduction to some of the animals that come from eggs. There are just a couple words to each page and very cute pictures with earth tones. Each page also has a little cut out illustrating the eggs size. This book is great for young children and also provides a bit of additional information on the last page for older children that even even as an adult I was unaware of.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Picture Book Tales
Joseph and the Sabbath Fish is written by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Marina Peluso. Joseph lived in Israel and celebrated the Sabath by opening his home to everyone who wanted to come and often times helped those who were less fortunate. His neighbor, Judah, also celebrated the Sabath, but he believed in giving to charity, and only allowing important people to his Sabath. Judah mocked Joseph for his generosity and told him he would become poor by trying to help people. As you can imagine Joseph ended up prospering and Judah learned that greed benefits no one and began opening his doors to those less fortunate. This tale has several sentences to a page and is a brilliant tale of the hazards to greed that is good for children ages 4-9.
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella story from China is retold by Ai-Ling Louie and illustrated by Ed Young. This tale is very much like the Disney version of Cinderella except that there was only one step sister and it was a fish with magic bones that transformed a servant girl into a beauty. This is a longer tale with several paragraphs to a page and beautifully hazy pictures and natural coloring. The book is geared toward older children about 9-12 years old.
The Boy From The Dragon Palace is a tale retold by Margaret Read McDonald and illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa and is a folk tale from Japan. This tale is adorable and made me giggle out loud. A down on his luck flower seller had flowers that no one wanted to buy so he put them in water and gave them to the Dragon King. As a thank you the Dragon King gave him a "snot nosed" little boy. The flower seller quickly learned that if he fed the boy shrimp with vinegar and sugar and asked for something the boy would blow his nose and the flower seller would get what he asked for. The flower seller never said thank you or appreciated the boy in any way and when he had what he wanted he rudely put the boy out and the flower seller went back to being very poor. This book has adorable and brightly colored illustrations with just a few sentences to a page making this a great book for kids ages 4-7 and it's a great way for them to learn about appreciation.
The Korean Cinderella as told by Shirley Climo and illustrated by Ruth Heller. This retelling is very similar to the Disney version of Cinderella as well. There is a step mother, but only one step sister and they are very cruel to Pear Blossom who is treated like a servant. This tale takes place long ago "when magical creatures were as common as cabbages" and it's these magical creature that Pear Blossom has to thanks for the fortune of meeting a man that could take her away from her wicked step mother and sister and give her more than she could have ever dreamed of. This book has brilliant illustrations and several paragraphs to each page making this book good for older readers who have a little more patience.
Medio Pollito: A Spanish Tale is adapted by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Valeria Docampo. Medio Pollito means half chicken and there once was a half chicken with a whole heart and because he gave to others he was rewarded ten fold. This half chick had the spirit of adventure and decided to travel to Madrid to see the big city and meet the king and along the way he helped the water, the fire and the wind and these friends that he had made helped him a great deal once he'd made it to Madrid and it was there that the wind helped him find his true calling as a weather vane. Anytime the people of Madrid saw the half chick talking to the wind they knew which way the wind was blowing. This adorable story is heart warming and the pictures are the same. Medio Pollito doesn't inspire pity, but the strong will to follow ones own dreams. I thought this book was adorable. It has several sentences to each page and teaches a little Spanish along the way. This book would be great for children between the ages of 4-8.
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella story from China is retold by Ai-Ling Louie and illustrated by Ed Young. This tale is very much like the Disney version of Cinderella except that there was only one step sister and it was a fish with magic bones that transformed a servant girl into a beauty. This is a longer tale with several paragraphs to a page and beautifully hazy pictures and natural coloring. The book is geared toward older children about 9-12 years old.
The Boy From The Dragon Palace is a tale retold by Margaret Read McDonald and illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa and is a folk tale from Japan. This tale is adorable and made me giggle out loud. A down on his luck flower seller had flowers that no one wanted to buy so he put them in water and gave them to the Dragon King. As a thank you the Dragon King gave him a "snot nosed" little boy. The flower seller quickly learned that if he fed the boy shrimp with vinegar and sugar and asked for something the boy would blow his nose and the flower seller would get what he asked for. The flower seller never said thank you or appreciated the boy in any way and when he had what he wanted he rudely put the boy out and the flower seller went back to being very poor. This book has adorable and brightly colored illustrations with just a few sentences to a page making this a great book for kids ages 4-7 and it's a great way for them to learn about appreciation.
The Korean Cinderella as told by Shirley Climo and illustrated by Ruth Heller. This retelling is very similar to the Disney version of Cinderella as well. There is a step mother, but only one step sister and they are very cruel to Pear Blossom who is treated like a servant. This tale takes place long ago "when magical creatures were as common as cabbages" and it's these magical creature that Pear Blossom has to thanks for the fortune of meeting a man that could take her away from her wicked step mother and sister and give her more than she could have ever dreamed of. This book has brilliant illustrations and several paragraphs to each page making this book good for older readers who have a little more patience.
Medio Pollito: A Spanish Tale is adapted by Eric A. Kimmel and illustrated by Valeria Docampo. Medio Pollito means half chicken and there once was a half chicken with a whole heart and because he gave to others he was rewarded ten fold. This half chick had the spirit of adventure and decided to travel to Madrid to see the big city and meet the king and along the way he helped the water, the fire and the wind and these friends that he had made helped him a great deal once he'd made it to Madrid and it was there that the wind helped him find his true calling as a weather vane. Anytime the people of Madrid saw the half chick talking to the wind they knew which way the wind was blowing. This adorable story is heart warming and the pictures are the same. Medio Pollito doesn't inspire pity, but the strong will to follow ones own dreams. I thought this book was adorable. It has several sentences to each page and teaches a little Spanish along the way. This book would be great for children between the ages of 4-8.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Counting Picture Books
Counting picture books are a great way to work with your kids to help them learn their numbers in a fun way as well as other early literacy skills. Asking open ended questions about the book and it's characters is a good way to work on your child's narrative skills.
The following are some reviews of counting picture books.
Two at the Zoo: A counting book is written by Danna Smith and illustrated by Valeria Petrone. This book is about a boy and his grandfather as they take a trip to the zoo and count how many of each kind of animal there are. The bright illustrations, few words to a page and rhyming will make this book a delight for early readers.
Star Wars 123 is a scholastic book ideal for any Star Wars lover. The book counts different characters of the movies from Yoda the 1 Grand Master Jedi to 100 stormtroopers. This is a board book that has a lot of Star Wars jargon and some scary creatures from the movies so this book has a niche audience, but great for those kids who can't get enough of Star Wars.
First Number Book is by Patti Barber and Ann Montagne. This counting picture book has very bright pictures and easy words and sentences. The counting isn't straight forward which I like because I think sometimes kids memorize the order in which the numbers go and assume that 4 comes after 3. It's nice if they can recognize how many of something there are or a number if they aren't in order because then they actually know the number and not just that it comes after or before another number. This book also asks questions that are outside of the book such as how many toes are on both of your feet or do any of your toys have a straight line. I think this aspect makes it much more interactive. The book also provides suggestions for parents in the beginning and a poster at the end.
Chicka Chicka 123 is by Bill Martin Jr, Michael Sampson, and Lois Ehlert. It's hard to read this book and not sign it. The repetition and rhyming are the kicker. I love the Chicka Chicka books because they are just plain fun to read with the numbers coming to life and the bright colors this book is sure to entertain young readers.
Counting Crocodiles is written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. This counting picture book is about a sly little monkey who talks the crocodiles into lining up so that he can get to another island and get bananas without the crocodile eating the little monkey. The monkey says line up so I can count you and count them he does, but not before getting his bananas. As the monkey counts the crocodiles he rhymes them with their activities. This is a cute book that has a plot other than just counting though there is enough counting that young readers will still get some good experience with numbers.
The following are some reviews of counting picture books.
Two at the Zoo: A counting book is written by Danna Smith and illustrated by Valeria Petrone. This book is about a boy and his grandfather as they take a trip to the zoo and count how many of each kind of animal there are. The bright illustrations, few words to a page and rhyming will make this book a delight for early readers.
Star Wars 123 is a scholastic book ideal for any Star Wars lover. The book counts different characters of the movies from Yoda the 1 Grand Master Jedi to 100 stormtroopers. This is a board book that has a lot of Star Wars jargon and some scary creatures from the movies so this book has a niche audience, but great for those kids who can't get enough of Star Wars.
First Number Book is by Patti Barber and Ann Montagne. This counting picture book has very bright pictures and easy words and sentences. The counting isn't straight forward which I like because I think sometimes kids memorize the order in which the numbers go and assume that 4 comes after 3. It's nice if they can recognize how many of something there are or a number if they aren't in order because then they actually know the number and not just that it comes after or before another number. This book also asks questions that are outside of the book such as how many toes are on both of your feet or do any of your toys have a straight line. I think this aspect makes it much more interactive. The book also provides suggestions for parents in the beginning and a poster at the end.
Chicka Chicka 123 is by Bill Martin Jr, Michael Sampson, and Lois Ehlert. It's hard to read this book and not sign it. The repetition and rhyming are the kicker. I love the Chicka Chicka books because they are just plain fun to read with the numbers coming to life and the bright colors this book is sure to entertain young readers.
Counting Crocodiles is written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. This counting picture book is about a sly little monkey who talks the crocodiles into lining up so that he can get to another island and get bananas without the crocodile eating the little monkey. The monkey says line up so I can count you and count them he does, but not before getting his bananas. As the monkey counts the crocodiles he rhymes them with their activities. This is a cute book that has a plot other than just counting though there is enough counting that young readers will still get some good experience with numbers.
Alphabet picture books
Alphabet picture books are great when working with your children on early literacy skills because it helps children with letter knowledge, print awareness, vocabulary and other skills based on how you use the book. To add to the experience, when reading an alphabet picture book try and ask open ended questions about what they think will happen in the book and you can aid their narrative skills as well. Make the experience fun and that will increase there print motivation and help to instill a life long love of reading.
The following are some reviews of various Alphabet picture books.
Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack is written by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin. This alphabetical animal adventure provides words for each letter of the alphabet as the reader follows animals on their way to a picnic gathering. You go from Animals awake to the mandatory snooze after a big meal, ZZZZ. The cute watercolor pictures that adorn the pages are sure to please even the youngest of readers.
ABC Now You See Me is written and illustrated by Kim Siebold. This lift the flap alphabet book is great for young children just starting their quest for reading and understanding letters. Each letter corresponds with one type of animal. There is a picture of an Alligator with an A beside it then when you lift the A flap you see what kind of animal it is. I wasn't sure about N where they chose to use Newt which is apparently an aquatic amphibian and also X where they chose to use X-ray fish. Kudos to Siebold for finding an animal to go with each letter and I love the plump little round animals. This is a fun book that allows the parent or caregiver to ask questions of their children and help them learn their letters.
B Is for Bulldozer A Construction ABC is written by June Sobel and illustrated by Melizza Iwai. This alphabet picture book is great for any young one, but a child interested in construction equipment and big working vehicles will especially love this book. The book is about a theme park being constructed and all the work it takes to get the park up and running. The colorful pictures and theme park theme are sure to delight.
P Is for Princess: A book of first words and ABC's is a Disney Princess book. This alphabet picture book is ideal for those little ones who love princesses. Each of the board book pages represents a letter and that letter is kind of cute out so kids can trace the letter with their finger and the letter also has arrows and numbers indicating how to write the letter. Then on each page there are flaps exposing those items on the page that begin with the letter of the page. The illustrations are of commonly know Disney princesses so children can identify with the characters as well.
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten is written by Joseph Slate and illustrated by Ashley Wolff. This warm picture book is about the first day of kindergarten and Wolff and Slate illustrate what each child is doing on their way to their first kindergarten class all the while showing what Miss Bindergarten is doing in order to prepare for her kindergarten class. There's not only alphabet practice on each page but rhymes as well making this a really fun and flowing read.
The following are some reviews of various Alphabet picture books.
Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack is written by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin. This alphabetical animal adventure provides words for each letter of the alphabet as the reader follows animals on their way to a picnic gathering. You go from Animals awake to the mandatory snooze after a big meal, ZZZZ. The cute watercolor pictures that adorn the pages are sure to please even the youngest of readers.
ABC Now You See Me is written and illustrated by Kim Siebold. This lift the flap alphabet book is great for young children just starting their quest for reading and understanding letters. Each letter corresponds with one type of animal. There is a picture of an Alligator with an A beside it then when you lift the A flap you see what kind of animal it is. I wasn't sure about N where they chose to use Newt which is apparently an aquatic amphibian and also X where they chose to use X-ray fish. Kudos to Siebold for finding an animal to go with each letter and I love the plump little round animals. This is a fun book that allows the parent or caregiver to ask questions of their children and help them learn their letters.
B Is for Bulldozer A Construction ABC is written by June Sobel and illustrated by Melizza Iwai. This alphabet picture book is great for any young one, but a child interested in construction equipment and big working vehicles will especially love this book. The book is about a theme park being constructed and all the work it takes to get the park up and running. The colorful pictures and theme park theme are sure to delight.
P Is for Princess: A book of first words and ABC's is a Disney Princess book. This alphabet picture book is ideal for those little ones who love princesses. Each of the board book pages represents a letter and that letter is kind of cute out so kids can trace the letter with their finger and the letter also has arrows and numbers indicating how to write the letter. Then on each page there are flaps exposing those items on the page that begin with the letter of the page. The illustrations are of commonly know Disney princesses so children can identify with the characters as well.
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten is written by Joseph Slate and illustrated by Ashley Wolff. This warm picture book is about the first day of kindergarten and Wolff and Slate illustrate what each child is doing on their way to their first kindergarten class all the while showing what Miss Bindergarten is doing in order to prepare for her kindergarten class. There's not only alphabet practice on each page but rhymes as well making this a really fun and flowing read.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Picture Books Galore
Bothers is written by Yin and the paintings are by Chris Soentpiet. This is a heart felt book about immigration. Ming immigrates from China to be with his two brothers in San Fransisco where they have a shop in Chinatown. Ming's brothers have to work extremely hard to make ends meet which leave Ming to man the store in his brothers' absence. While left alone, Ming wonders outside of Chinatown, against his brothers wishes. On one of his forays he runs into a school where he meets an Irish immigrant named Patrick. They quickly become good friends and Patrick not only helped Ming learn English, but helped him with his shop work as well. This is a story about friendship, immigration and the bonds of family and the realistic paintings of Soentpiet are beautifully rendered. There are long paragraphs on each page so this would be a good book for those older children with a bit more patience. I would say ages 6-9. Children who enjoy this heart warming book may also like Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say.
Ladybug Girl and Bingo by David Soman and Jacky Davis is about a little girl with a big imagination. Ladybug Girl is kin to a superhero, but much cuter. She and her dog Bingo go camping with her family and discover so many amazing things in the woods. Where her family might see a bolder, Ladybug Girl sees a turtle big enough to ride. Where one might see a gnarled old tree, Ladybug sees a wizened old wizard. In all of her adventures she takes her trusty sidekick bingo. This is an adorable book with several sentences to a page and charming illustrations that make this book good for children ages 3 and up.
We Planted a Tree is written by Diane Muldrow and illustrated by Bob Staake. This picture book is about many people planting a tree and the different phases of a tree. The book also shows what benefits there are to the plant and people when trees are planted. The message of the book is positive and told in a simple way with easy sentences and words and colorful illustrations to reinforce the theme of the book. This book simplicity and eye catching appearance makes it good for young readers ages 4-8. If your child likes this book, they may also be interested in The Curious Garden by Peter Brown.
You and Me and Home Sweet Home is by George Lyon and Stephanie Anderson. This book is a book about over coming adversity. This book makes me appreciate the little things I take for granted everyday. Sharonda and her mother are having to live on a pull out couch at her Aunt's house and need to find a place to live. Their church organizes a group to build a house for Sharonda and her mother and Sharonda is pleased when she gets to help prepare her house. The realistic depictions of the characters are beautiful and I especially love the last page because the embrace between mother and daughter makes me reminiscent. It's an embrace I've seen so many times before. Though this book deals with a more serious subject, the words and sentences are all very simple making this book great for children ages 5-9.
Thunder Rose was written by Jerdine Nolen and illustrated by Kadire Nelson. This book is a prefect mix of plot and illustration. I love the front cover because you can just tell by looking at Rose's sweet smile that she is precocious. Thunder Rose is a tall tale of a little girl who has thunder and lightening coursing through her veins. She is smart, strong, and has a way with animals and the elements. Nothing less than a bull will do for this young heroine to ride. This is a longer tale with a few paragraphs on most of the pages and some more difficult words, but it's an exciting story on the scale of Paul Bunyan and sure to hold a child's attention. This story would be great for children 5-8, but I think even older children would enjoy the story. I almost with this was a chapter book series.
Ladybug Girl and Bingo by David Soman and Jacky Davis is about a little girl with a big imagination. Ladybug Girl is kin to a superhero, but much cuter. She and her dog Bingo go camping with her family and discover so many amazing things in the woods. Where her family might see a bolder, Ladybug Girl sees a turtle big enough to ride. Where one might see a gnarled old tree, Ladybug sees a wizened old wizard. In all of her adventures she takes her trusty sidekick bingo. This is an adorable book with several sentences to a page and charming illustrations that make this book good for children ages 3 and up.
We Planted a Tree is written by Diane Muldrow and illustrated by Bob Staake. This picture book is about many people planting a tree and the different phases of a tree. The book also shows what benefits there are to the plant and people when trees are planted. The message of the book is positive and told in a simple way with easy sentences and words and colorful illustrations to reinforce the theme of the book. This book simplicity and eye catching appearance makes it good for young readers ages 4-8. If your child likes this book, they may also be interested in The Curious Garden by Peter Brown.
You and Me and Home Sweet Home is by George Lyon and Stephanie Anderson. This book is a book about over coming adversity. This book makes me appreciate the little things I take for granted everyday. Sharonda and her mother are having to live on a pull out couch at her Aunt's house and need to find a place to live. Their church organizes a group to build a house for Sharonda and her mother and Sharonda is pleased when she gets to help prepare her house. The realistic depictions of the characters are beautiful and I especially love the last page because the embrace between mother and daughter makes me reminiscent. It's an embrace I've seen so many times before. Though this book deals with a more serious subject, the words and sentences are all very simple making this book great for children ages 5-9.
Thunder Rose was written by Jerdine Nolen and illustrated by Kadire Nelson. This book is a prefect mix of plot and illustration. I love the front cover because you can just tell by looking at Rose's sweet smile that she is precocious. Thunder Rose is a tall tale of a little girl who has thunder and lightening coursing through her veins. She is smart, strong, and has a way with animals and the elements. Nothing less than a bull will do for this young heroine to ride. This is a longer tale with a few paragraphs on most of the pages and some more difficult words, but it's an exciting story on the scale of Paul Bunyan and sure to hold a child's attention. This story would be great for children 5-8, but I think even older children would enjoy the story. I almost with this was a chapter book series.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Picture Books Continued
Moo, Moo, Brown Cow, Have You Any Milk? written by Phillis Gershator and illustrated by Giselle Potter is a contemporary take on Ba Ba black sheep with added versus. The rhythmic style of writing lends itself to being sung to the tune of Ba Ba black sheep as well making it perfect for a bedtime lullaby. The book follows a little boy as he asks about getting honey, milk, eggs, down and wool so chidren get a sense of where things come from. Potter's pictures are a colorful display of whimsy that illustrate what each item in question is. For those children who don't know what down is Potter shows them with pictures. This book is good for children up to 8 years old.
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is a book that I wish I had picked up long ago. It's an adorable story of hope and determination. There once was a town that had no gardens, no grass, no flowers or foliage of any kind. It was a dreary town until one day Liam decided to explore an old railroad where he discovered a few plants in need of a gardener. Liam didn't think himself a gardener, but he thought he would give it a go. Things didn't always work out as planned, but Liam kept trying and became more knowledgable about gardening and because of his tenacity the town transformed into a gardeners dream. This book shows the importance of persistance and education and the illustrations wonderfully depict the transformation from dreary to refreshingly lush. This book varys from some pages with no writing to pages with several sentences so this book would be great for children with a little longer attention span. It would be great for children ages 3-8 and with this years Summer Reading Club theme as dig in, it's a perfect summer read.
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carl work together in this picture book for young children ages 2-5. This is a book about a boy who is dreaming of different types of animals "all wild and free". With few words to a page and colorful pictures this book is great for early readers.
The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot is written by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by Mark Fearing is a space aged take on the tale of The Three Little Pigs. Mother alien's house had gotten too small for herself and her three little aliens so she sets them loose in the universe and tells them to find a good home and stick together. At first they didn't stick together and it was only Nklxwcyz who had the forsight to build a sturdy house instead of a whimsical one and it was he who Bork and Gork sought out after their less sturdy houses were destroyed by the big bad robot. Fearing's illustrations give distinct personalities to the little aliens. This book has several sentences on eash page making this book ideal for children who are a bit older, about 4-8 years old.
Race The Wild Wind: A Story of the Sable Island Horses is by Sandra Markle with paintings by Layne Johnson. This story and it's painted illustrations are very realistic. The story follows one stallion as he arrives on the island and it shows his life as a bachelor and how he came to be the head of a herd. This story talks about pregnant horses, the death of a stallion, and is fairly long, as picture books go, so this story is probably best for older children, Kirkus suggests ages 5-9, but I'm inclined to say that 5 is a little young. Having grown up around horses I probably would have been ready for this book before others just because I saw it anyway, but for some young children this could bring up some pretty big questions. I like that the story is about a real place and that there are facts in the back of the book for those who want to know more.
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown is a book that I wish I had picked up long ago. It's an adorable story of hope and determination. There once was a town that had no gardens, no grass, no flowers or foliage of any kind. It was a dreary town until one day Liam decided to explore an old railroad where he discovered a few plants in need of a gardener. Liam didn't think himself a gardener, but he thought he would give it a go. Things didn't always work out as planned, but Liam kept trying and became more knowledgable about gardening and because of his tenacity the town transformed into a gardeners dream. This book shows the importance of persistance and education and the illustrations wonderfully depict the transformation from dreary to refreshingly lush. This book varys from some pages with no writing to pages with several sentences so this book would be great for children with a little longer attention span. It would be great for children ages 3-8 and with this years Summer Reading Club theme as dig in, it's a perfect summer read.
Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carl work together in this picture book for young children ages 2-5. This is a book about a boy who is dreaming of different types of animals "all wild and free". With few words to a page and colorful pictures this book is great for early readers.
The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot is written by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by Mark Fearing is a space aged take on the tale of The Three Little Pigs. Mother alien's house had gotten too small for herself and her three little aliens so she sets them loose in the universe and tells them to find a good home and stick together. At first they didn't stick together and it was only Nklxwcyz who had the forsight to build a sturdy house instead of a whimsical one and it was he who Bork and Gork sought out after their less sturdy houses were destroyed by the big bad robot. Fearing's illustrations give distinct personalities to the little aliens. This book has several sentences on eash page making this book ideal for children who are a bit older, about 4-8 years old.
Race The Wild Wind: A Story of the Sable Island Horses is by Sandra Markle with paintings by Layne Johnson. This story and it's painted illustrations are very realistic. The story follows one stallion as he arrives on the island and it shows his life as a bachelor and how he came to be the head of a herd. This story talks about pregnant horses, the death of a stallion, and is fairly long, as picture books go, so this story is probably best for older children, Kirkus suggests ages 5-9, but I'm inclined to say that 5 is a little young. Having grown up around horses I probably would have been ready for this book before others just because I saw it anyway, but for some young children this could bring up some pretty big questions. I like that the story is about a real place and that there are facts in the back of the book for those who want to know more.
Game of Thrones
George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones series is quite popular, especially when you consider that the series was made into a hit HBO series. As always the books are way better than the acted out version. Now don't get me wrong folks, I have gotten kind of addicted to the show as well, but they cut out some of what I would consider major symbolism.
The book is about the prestigious people in a mythical realm where kings rule, dragons are long since extinct, loyalty is expected (though rarely acquired), money talks and courage is revered. The reader gets to see how people claw their way to the top in this game of thrones because though obvious, it's nice to be a king. Each chapter follows a different person, but it's clear from the beginning that the Stark family are the protagonists and it seems to be them against the world. They are honor bound and loyal to a fault. Who could think that loyalty and honor would be a bad thing, but where manipulation can get you to the top, nobility can get you killed.
Wolves play a large part in the book as they are the sigil for the Stark family. In the beginning of the book the Stark sons happen upon a batch of dire wolf pups who are to young to go on their own and clinging to a dead mother. Dire wolves are much more impressive than the average wolf both in size and intelligence. When the boys see the pups they instantly fall in love and though Eddard Stark, the father, would see them killed. Jon, his bastard son, convinces his father that they represent his family as there is a pup for each of the children and they boys bring the five pups home with them. Each pup takes on the personality of the child that rears them. I feel that this whole part of the novel was glossed over in the television series and being an animal lover I was disappointed. I was also surprised that there were a couple of scenes in the show that weren't even in the book and I believe that the effect is that the audience has some sympathy for Cesei, the King's wife, when in fact the book makes it seem like she is a horrible, wicked woman beyond the reach of sympathy.
All this being said, as I stated previously, I do really like both the book and the show. I think the key is to go into each without expecting them to be the same. Though this book is fantasy I keep seeing pieces of The Pillars Of The Earth which is a historical fiction by Ken Follett so this is a book I may recommend if you like this series.
The book is about the prestigious people in a mythical realm where kings rule, dragons are long since extinct, loyalty is expected (though rarely acquired), money talks and courage is revered. The reader gets to see how people claw their way to the top in this game of thrones because though obvious, it's nice to be a king. Each chapter follows a different person, but it's clear from the beginning that the Stark family are the protagonists and it seems to be them against the world. They are honor bound and loyal to a fault. Who could think that loyalty and honor would be a bad thing, but where manipulation can get you to the top, nobility can get you killed.
Wolves play a large part in the book as they are the sigil for the Stark family. In the beginning of the book the Stark sons happen upon a batch of dire wolf pups who are to young to go on their own and clinging to a dead mother. Dire wolves are much more impressive than the average wolf both in size and intelligence. When the boys see the pups they instantly fall in love and though Eddard Stark, the father, would see them killed. Jon, his bastard son, convinces his father that they represent his family as there is a pup for each of the children and they boys bring the five pups home with them. Each pup takes on the personality of the child that rears them. I feel that this whole part of the novel was glossed over in the television series and being an animal lover I was disappointed. I was also surprised that there were a couple of scenes in the show that weren't even in the book and I believe that the effect is that the audience has some sympathy for Cesei, the King's wife, when in fact the book makes it seem like she is a horrible, wicked woman beyond the reach of sympathy.
All this being said, as I stated previously, I do really like both the book and the show. I think the key is to go into each without expecting them to be the same. Though this book is fantasy I keep seeing pieces of The Pillars Of The Earth which is a historical fiction by Ken Follett so this is a book I may recommend if you like this series.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Accidentally Yours
Susan Mallery is a customer favorite in Baltimore County Libraries so I thought I would pick up a book and see what the buzz is about. Accidentally Yours was sitting on the shelf and was one of her newer romance novels so I picked it up. It was a quick easy read, but that doesn't me it was happy go lucky. On the contrary the book is about a woman, Kerri Sullivan, whose son has Gilliar's Disease and she tries her best to be Wonder Mom. I mean this literally, she has a costume and everything. She puts all of her energy into faith and believes that if she can convince her son that his mom is a super hero then he will believe he has super hero blood in him as well and that will help him fight off his illness.
In a desperate attempt to acquire money for a research facility focusing on Gilliar's Disease she blackmails a billionaire, Nathan King. After blackmailing him she enters into an agreement where by she volunteers her time to attend charity events to create good publicity for Nathan so that the arrangement can be mutually beneficial. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what comes next because I mean it is a romance, but romance is never easy and Kerri feels like she has to focus all of her energy on her son Cody and that if she for one moment focuses on herself it will be at the expense of her sons health.
The book is a race against the clock to get a cure before Cody dies and a cat and mouse game of love. It's not the typical romance because there are a couple of plot lines going on at the same time. The book is all about love, but not just that of a man and a woman, but the love of family as well.
People who enjoy this book may also want to check out Cutting Loose by Susan Anderson.
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