New Books for Arbor Day 2016

It feels like every year I do a post on Arbor Day books.  I can't help myself.  I'm an Oregonian Tree Hugger and I'm not ashamed of it either!  I am so pleased to share even more books about trees...books that are brand new.  So place your holds now so you can be a book lover and a tree hugger (just like me!) this Arbor Day, April 29, 2016!

Secret Tree Fort by Brianne Farley
I LOVE trees and I LOVED building forts when I was a kid.  Here's the story about a tree that is ideal for reading quietly under, plus being the foundation for the most magnificent tree fort.   It also makes for the perfect setting for about squabbling sisters.  So any way you look at it, trees are perfect for any sort of childhood situation.






The Cow Who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Merino
Now this is the silliest tree story that I've ever read!  Who knew that cows could climb trees?  Well, Tina the Cow certainly can!  And when she does, she meets new friends up in the branches.  Her sister thinks her experience is "Impossible! Ridiculous!" and full of "Nonsense!"  Just wait until you read this one.  Readers will be in for a surprise!

From Apple Trees to Cider, Please! by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky
There's an apple festival underway at the farm and lots of work to do to make the cider. This visit finishes with a cider doughnut and a cup of freshly pressed cider. It's DELICIOUS! Told in crisp, action-driven rhymes from a young child's point of view, here's a realistic account of how apple cider is pressed, flavored with the charm and vigor of a harvest celebration.

Little Tree by Loren Long
Little Tree is very happy in the forest, where he is surrounded by other little trees and his leaves keep him cool in the heat of summer, but when autumn comes and the other trees drop their leaves, Little Tree cannot be persuaded to let his go, even after they wither and turn brown.
The Little Tree That Would Not Share by Nicoletta Costa

The Tree in the Courtyard by Jeff Gottesfeld
A horse chestnut tree lived outside of Anne Frank's window.  The tree watched her play, laugh, and write in her diary.  When strangers invaded the city and warplanes roared overhead, the tree watched the Anne peek out of the curtained window of the annex. It watched as she and her family were taken away and when her father returned after the war, alone.  Sadly, the tree died the summer Anne Frank would have turned 81, but its seeds and saplings have been planted around the world as a symbol of peace. Its story, and Anne's story, are beautifully told and illustrated in this powerful picture book illustrated by one of my favorite illustrators, Peter McCarty.

Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Teckentrup
A peek-through hole on the cover of the book continues on each page to the very end in this book where children can view the seasonal changes of a tree..  I really love the bold and vibrant color illustrations.  Plus, this book will be a lot of fun especially for toddlers!

The 52-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths (Juvenile Fiction)
This series started off with a 13-story treehouse, now it has evolved into 52-stories.  Now Andy and Terry must try to solve the mystery of: What happened to Mr. Big Nose? Because it's hard to turn in your next book when your publisher has vanished! 

Bloom

I am absolutely bursting to tell you about Bloom, written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by David Small!!!

With mud in her hair, dirt in her teeth, and heavy footsteps that leave cracks everywhere she steps, Bloom is not your typical fairy. She makes such a mess that the citizens of the glass kingdom are relieved when she moves into the forest. But as the years go by, the glass slowly crumbles and the king just does not know what to do. He remembers that magical creature from many years ago and seeks her out in the forest. When he finds her to ask her advice for how to repair the crumbling kingdom, she sets a bucket of mud at his feet. Because the only explanation for that behavior is that she must be intimidated by his royal highness, he sends the queen, who may be more approachable. But again, Bloom leaves a bucket of mud at her feet. Finally, the king and queen send an "ordinary" girl, Genevieve, to ask Bloom for her ideas of saving the kingdom.

So what is "ordinary," anyway? Is there even a such thing? Will just an "ordinary" girl be able to solve the kingdom's problem with help from a strange little fairy?

Like lovely little Bloom herself, this lovely little (or, actually, it's pretty big!) picture book is not your typical fairy tale. This charming, empowering story is my favorite that I've read in quite awhile!

Back to School Blues?

School is starts a week from today.  I can't believe summer is coming to an end.  Wow, time sure does fly!  Do you have some kiddos at home dreading going back to school in September?  Well, here's some fun picture books that just might help them get back into their regular school routine and make them excited to go back to class!



Planet Kindergarten by Sue Ganz-Schmitt
A young child imagines going off to Kindergarten as a journey to another planet

Edda: A Little Valkyrie's First Day of School by Adam Auerbach
Edda, the littlest Valkyrie, leaves the magical land of Asgard to attend school in hopes of making a friend her own age, but feels like an outcast until she finds her courage and learns that being different makes her special.

The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School by Deborah Diesen
Mr. Fish recalls how, on his very first day of school, he anxiously went to one classroom after another watching students do things he could not, until Miss Hewitt showed him to the room that was right for beginners.

A Big Day for Migs! by Jo Hodgkinson
Migs' first day of school gets off to a rough start, but he overcomes his shyness to ask for help from his new classmates and makes the day special for everyone.








Dog Days of School by Kelly DiPucchio
Tired of school, Charlie envies his dog and wishes he could be a dog, too, but when his wish comes true he discovers that his life was not all bad.









Ninja Boy Goes to School by N.D. Wilson
A little boy explains what it's like to go to school--when you're a ninja.










My Teacher is a Monster (No. I Am Not) by Peter Brown
Bobby thinks his teacher, Ms. Kirby, is horrible, but when he sees her outside of school and they spend a day in the park together, he discovers she might not be so bad after all.








On My Way to School by Sarah Maizes
Livi imagines herself as an elephant, a Sherpa leading an expedition up Mount Everest, and a movie star signing autographs as she tries to avoid going to school.

Little Lola by Julie Saab
After climbing aboard a school bus, a curious cat spends an enjoyable day at school.

Calling All Elephant and Piggie Fans!

We all know Mo Willems is an absolute genius for creating the Elephant and Piggie books, many of which that have won notoriety and awards for beginning readers.  No other books for beginners can stand even close to the books, as Mo knows how to write for this crowd and keep them interested in reading.  For years I've been trying to wrap my fingers around books that would come close in comparison to satisfy early readers who crave more books like Elephant and Piggie.  After all this time, I have FINALLY found the book!  Let me introduce you to Ballet Cat: The Totally Secret Secret by Bob Shea!  Bob has published a number of picture books over the years, which have appealing characters and humorous plot lines.  Now BFF's Ballet  Cat and Sparkles the Horse present to readers their humor and wide range of emotions in dialogue shown in speech bubbles that is quick-witted and fast-paced.  They are sure to satisfy Elephant and Piggie fans and will leave them wanting more.  Three cheers for Ballet Cat and Sparkles!!! Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray! Hip-hip-hooray!

Hooray for Unicorns!

Kids today are so incredibly lucky that so many wonderful books have been published within recent years that cover a multitude of topics.  I remember growing up thinking that Unicorns were special creatures containing a lot of magic and mystery.  Unfortunately there were no books available on the subject of unicorns (that I was aware of) that shared this same sense of wonder.  But now, I am pleased to share some fun and AWESOME unicorn books that do just that!  Check these out today!  (You'll be glad you did!)

  Unicorn Thinks He Is Pretty Great (Picture Book)
by Bob Shea
If you've got a youngster at home who loves unicorns and rainbow colors AND sparkles, this is the perfect book! At first, Goat envies Unicorn because he goes around acting like a show-off.  But then Goat Admires Unicorn and eventually the two become friends.

Uni The Unicorn (Picture Book)
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Uni the Unicorn believes that little girls are real, despite her unicorn friends and family insisting that don't exist.  Fun retro style illustrations mimic that of vintage Golden Books while giving Uni beautiful grace.

Phoebe and Her Unicorn: A Heavenly Nostrils Chronicle (Juvenile Graphic Novel)
by Dana Simpson
Phoebe has no choice, but to believe in unicorns in this brand new and adventurous graphic novel. Lots of reviewers are comparing this friendship to that of Calvin and Hobbs.  I couldn't agree more!







Lily The Unicorn (Picture Book)
by Dallas Clayton

Lily the unicorn teaches her new pal, Roger the penguin, that it's fun to try new things.  Dive right in to experience a lot of fun!

STEAM Saturday

Did you know that solving puzzles strengthens cognition abilities? Being able to solve puzzles is the same part of the brain that works math and music as well. So, to celebrate this fact, here's a puzzle for you.

'We eat what we can, and we can what we can't.'
Can you explain who could make this statement?

To find out the answer, check out the book The Puzzle Emporium Presents Amazing Brain Teasers: mathematical diversions, lateral thinking puzzles, riddles, conundrums, and more by Erwin Brecher.

Mustaches for Movember

It turns out that November, or I should say Movember, is a good month to highlight some fairly new books we have about mustaches.  There's not too many kids books out there on the topics, so here's some fun ones to enjoy:



Mo's Mustache by Ben Clanton (Picture Book)
Monster Mo shows off his big, beautiful mustache to all his friends.  It then inspires all of his friends to copy his style by growing fabulous mustaches of their own, leaving Mo to wonder how he will continue to distinguish himself.  This book makes for a great read on learning about being true to yourself and accepting other's differences.






Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos (Picture Book)
Baby Billy was born with a mustache.  His parents must figure out if it's a Good-Guy mustache, or a Bad-Guy mustache.  You'll never see a mustache on a baby quite like Billy's!










Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger (Juvenile Fiction)
Lenny Flem Jr. is the only one standing between his evil-genius best friend, Casper, and world domination as Casper uses a spectacularly convincing fake mustache and the ability to hypnotize to rob banks, amass a vast fortune, and run for president.  A perfect read for reluctant readers as this is packed full of humor and laughs.

Tree News

Last week we unfortunately lost our large pine tree outside the front library doors in the windstorm late at night on Veteran's Day. (See our Facebook post on November 12) However, to cheer readers up from the loss, here's some fun tree books that just might bring on some happy faces and provide opportunities to learn about trees.

This Tree Counts by Alison Formento
Before they begin planting new trees, Mr. Tate tells his students to listen closely as the lone tree behind their school counts out ten ways it serves the needs of different animals.

Cat Up a Tree by John Hassett
With rapidly increasing numbers of cats stuck in her tree, Nana Quimby asks for help from the firehouse, the police, the pet shop, the zoo, the library, and even city hall, but no one will help rescue the cats!

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
An interactive book that invites the reader to tap, rub, touch, and wiggle illustrations to make an apple tree bloom, produce fruit, and lose its leaves.  This book will provide lots of continuous fun!








Maple by Lori Nichols
A nature-loving little girl's favorite playmate is her maple tree, until the day she's surprised with a baby sister.











A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry
This Caldecott winning book describes the value of a tree

And if you are still sad, there's always The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, as a tree is a gift that keeps on giving!

STEAM Saturday

Meep, meep!
Have you ever watched the Looney Tunes cartoons with Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner?
Poor Wile E.! He tries to outsmart the Road Runner with all kinds of contraptions that never work. Why don't they work? Sometimes it's a combination of his impatience and the laws of physics!
And what a fun way to learn about physics. Take a look at these books

Smash!: Wile E. Coyote Experiments With Simple Machines by Mark Weakland
Splat!: Wile E. Coyote Experiments With States of Matter by Suzanne Slade
Thud!: Wile E. Coyote Experiments With Forces and Motion by Mark Weakland
Zap!: Wile E. Coyote Experiments With Energy by Suzanne Slade

Then, the next time you enjoy some of his cartoons, you'll appreciate that he is a physical science genius.

Ziptang!

Two Hot New Titles!

I'm super excited about two fabulous books I read this week.  Now I know neither of these two books don't need any extra promotion, but for those of you out there who haven't heard the news, I've gotta let you know about them!  The holds lists are growing, so be sure to place your holds now before the wait gets longer!!!

Elephant and Piggie are back in their latest installment in Waiting Is Not Easy!  Piggie is sooooo excited to share a BIG surprise with Gerald.  And of course, Gerald is too excited to wait for the surprise, and keeps tormenting Piggie to give it to him right away.  Piggie insists that Gerald must wait and wait and wait.  After the agonizing wait, Gerald is met with a wonderful surprise that even the reader will be truly surprised!  Want to know what it is?  I can't tell you.  You must wait!  And believe me, it is worth the wait!  All of us in Youth Services are super excited about this book!  Miss Jaime says, "It was deliciously awesome.  Just when I thought the Elephant and Piggie books couldn't get any better, they did!" This title will be a perfect read for those of you out there who have kiddos who need a little encouragement in learning the art of patience. 

The other awesome book I read this week was book 9 of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.  We all know that Greg Heffley needs no introduction as he's wiggled his way into the hearts of many elementary school readers.  In Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul, Mom Susan insists that the family take a road trip for everyone to spend some quality bonding time together.  While the trip starts off with good intentions, it ends up with one problem after another.  Bad gas stations, unbearable hotel rooms, seagulls, lost keys, a piglet, no cash, and a trip to the vet weren't what the Heffley family had in mind, but one page after another is guaranteed for some belly bursting out-loud laughs!  I'm surprised no one around me complained about my laughing while I was reading...it was just that funny!

Meet Leroy Ninker

Do you have a Mercy Watson fan in your family?  If so, meet the latest character from Deckawoo Drive, Leroy Ninker in Leroy Ninker Saddles Up: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume One by Kate DiCamillo.  Leroy is a small little man who works at the local drive-in theater. He dreams of being a cowboy.  He's got the hat, boots, and lasso.  The only thing that's missing is a horse to make his cowboy life a reality.  Then he meets Maybelline, an old horse with only four teeth, who hates to be alone and wants nothing more than to be sweetly spoken to.  When Maybelline gets adopted, her former owner gives Leroy three very important rules he must live by to make Maybelline happy.  It's not until Leroy forgets rule number three that crisis strikes! 

This transitional chapter book is the perfect leap for readers to make once they've finished the Mercy Watson books, because it's just a step up in reading difficulty giving readers a slight challenge in their reading skills, while still including a large text size, with plenty of white space and black and white illustrations in a nicely sized package.  Plus, there's still  familiar characters from the Mercy Watson books readers will recognize, which adds to all the fun!!

Separation Anxiety?

School has just begun.  Is your little one suffering from separation anxiety?  Or perhaps they are getting ready to go spend the night for the first time from home at a friend or relatives house.  Or maybe they are going off to school on their own for the first time.  Well, we've got some great picture books that will be helpful to read to your child about separating from you, the parent, for the first time, or maybe the second or third time. 

Hugging Hour! by Aileen Leijten
Drew, who prefers to be called Drool, worries her parents are never coming back when she spends the night with her grandmother.










The Kiss Box by Bonnie Verburg
As they prepare for a short separation, Mama Bear and Little Bear find a way to reassure each other while they are apart.










The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
When Chester the raccoon is reluctant to go to kindergarten for the first time, his mother teaches him a secret way to carry her love with him.

Love Waves by Rosemary Wells
While they are at work a mother and father send powerful "love waves" to their child at home, offering reassurance and comfort in their absence.








Miss You Like Crazy by Pamela Hall
Walnut the Squirrel does not want his mother to go to work without him.  But after imagining the adventures they could share if he went along, she reassures him that he is always on her mind and plans to share special time with him each day.






Also, we do have booklist that contains books on going to school, which covers the first day of school, starting pre-school, starting kindergarten, and starting first grade!

Math Awareness Month

Did you know that April is math awareness month?  Why not take some time to explore some fun arithmetic books with your young reader today!  Here's a handful to get you started:


Bedtime Math and Bedtime Math 2: This Time It's Personal by Laura Overdeck, for ages 3 to 7
Each of these books contain over 100 kid-friendly math problems on topics such as jalapenos, submarines, roller coasters, flamingos, missing socks, and glitter.  After spending time with either of these books, kids will discover that math surrounds them in their everyday lives.

The Wing Wing Brothers Math Spectacular by Ethan Long, for ages 3-7
In this picture book, The Wing Wing brothers put on a show complete with their silly antics that illustrates how to compare numbers, add, and subtract.  These guys are absolutely hillarious!

The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbably Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Helligman, for ages 3 to 8
This juvenile biography tells about the life of Paul Erdos, who grew up in Hungary during WWI.  He  He was fascinated by numbers from an early age, and by the time he was 20, he was known as "The Magician from Budapest".

Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci by Joseph D'Agnese, for ages 6 to 9
Here's another juvenile biography about a mathematician.  Leonardo Fibonacci was a 12th century mathematician who discovered the numerical sequence that was named for him.

Zero the Hero by Joan Holub for ages 6 to 10
In this picture book, Zero believes that he is a hero, but the counting numbers think he is worthless until they get into trouble with some Roman numerals, and only Zero can help

7 X 9 = Trouble and Fractions = Trouble by Claudia Mills, for ages 7 to 10.
In 7 X 9 = Trouble, Third-grader Wilson struggles with his times-tables in order to beat the class deadline, which will be an ice-cream party.  In it's companion book, Fractions = Trouble Wilson struggles with with fractions and, much to his embarrassment, his parents sign him up to work with a math tutor.  These two easy chapter books are great choices for transitional readers making the leap from early readers.

That's a Possibility by Bruce Goldstone, for ages 7 to 10
Colorful photographs and interactive examples introduces children to the ideas of something being possible, probable, or impossible. It contains easy-to-understand, fun scenarios such as dice rolling and bowling, complete with questions about probable outcomes and simple explanations. Plus the gumball machine on the front cover looks really cool too!

Younger Judy Moody and Hank Zipzer

For those of you who are familiar with the Judy Moody and Hank Zipzer series of books for young to middle elementary school students, there are two new early reader series of books for the beginner reader crowd based on these two popular characters.. 

Let me introduce you to Judy Moody and Friends, aimed at ages 4 to 6.  These books will expand more on some of Judy's buddies mentioned in the chapter books.  The first two books in the series, Rocky Zang in The Amazing Mr. Magic and Jessica Finch in Pig Trouble will be released on February 11th.  More books will be released in September.

And for Hank Zipzer, he will travel back to second grade before his dyslexia is diagnosed in his new beginner reader series called Here's Hank.  Books to be released on February 8th include Bookmarks are People Too! and A Short Tale About a Long Dog.

I'm really looking forward to see how these chapter books transpose into beginner reader books. I hope your reader is too!

Are you speaking to me?

Interactive books are one of the best ways to get your children excited about reading. Whether it’s finding Waldo or hunting for the answers to clues, books that ask the reader to do (or not do) something are enticing and can reinforce the love of reading. Two such books are Warning: do not open thisbook by Adam Lehrhaupt and Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson.  You'll have more fun reading these titles than five monkeys in a tree.

 

Make Your Own Mark!

There once was an exclamation point who felt like he didn't belong.  He tried a bunch of sentences, but he just didn't fit in.  He found that other punctuation marks served themselves well in sentences, like commas, periods, and question marks.  He wanted to be important like all the others.  It wasn't until through a friend that he found just the right sentence, then he belonged and made his special mark!  Touching on how each individual person is important and that anyone can make a difference, Exclamation Mark by Amy Krouse Rosenthal does just that...by making your own mark!