Top 10 Apps

As you may recall in our 5 Assumptions You May Have Regarding Screen Time & Your Child post that there's the “Three C’s” that parents must take into consideration when having their children look at any type of content on a screen, no matter the device (iphone/smart phone, ipad, e-readers, computer, TV, etc.) which are:

1. The content (What is the child really looking at? What are the features?)

2. The context (What is happening around the child at the same exact time they are looking at the screen? Are there other kids around playing? Is no one else around?)

3. The child (What is their needs? Do they have any stressors in their life?)

So if your child must interact with apps, School Library Journal is the only place I know of that reviews apps for kids.  Their Top 10 Apps of 2013 is a good place to start if you want apps for your child to use.  The list includes a Mo Willems and a Captain Underpants app too!

Favorite Book Fridays: New Favorites in Non-Fiction

Who doesn't love a puppet?

Puppets can be made with the most simple of materials- lonely socks, odds and ends of paper, even a napkin! 10 Minute Puppets is a book recently added to the juvenile non-fiction collection that explains clearly how to make a variety of silly, playful puppets. Some of my favorite ideas include little paper puppets that turn your fingers into dancing ballerina legs, sock puppet snakes, and folded paper lion puppets reminiscent of cooty-catchers. It was so inspiring to me that I thought we should probably have a puppet making workshop this summer. Keep a lookout for that. In the mean time, check out the book!

Another new non-fiction addition that caught my eye as I checked it in for the first time was How Cooking Works . It's a cookbook for kids that describes the science behind the recipes. Step-by-step photos and succinct instructions set up young cooks for success in the kitchen, and small notes answer such questions as why corns pops and why beaten egg whites become stiff. The delectable photographs of berry and whipped cream laden pancakes or oven fried sweet potato wedges make me want to race home and set my toddler up with a stool by the kitchen counter. I would hesitate to hand over the chicken or shrimp to younger chefs, though. The first recipe my little guy and I will be making? Savory cookies with cheddar cheese and rosemary. Yum.

Heart of a Samurai

I do love when an author takes historical fact to form the base of a beautifully woven story. Margi Preus did just that with Heart of a Samurai, taking the true story of a young Japanese boy in the 1800s who becomes stranded with fellow fisherman on an island after a storm. Japan was closed off from the rest of the world at that time and he knows even if he survives he will never be allowed to return home.

So starts the story of Nakahama Manjiro, who joins a whaling crew and travels the world. This is a great historical novel with plenty of adventure and heart.

Reading for Grownups

Surrounded by picture books and chapter books, I often get lost when it comes to books for grownups. Luckily our Adult Services Librarians are on the job. The new Tigard Library website has two excellent places to help you out: May We Recommend and New at the Library. With featured books, booklists and links to helpful sites, you'll find it a quick and easy way to grab a book for yourself. The booklists are linked to the catalog, so you can place a hold on something that sounds good and we'll let you know when you can pick it up!

Other People's Lives

I always find it interesting to read about people I have heard of and find out what their lives were like before and after they became famous. I recently finished Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain, a memoir by Portia deRossi (of Ally McBeal and Arrested Development fame) about her eating disorder, and I found it surprisingly good! Yes, I actually get a chance to read books written for adults, too!

Now I'm on to Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart, by Candace Fleming. I just started it last night and I'm already about halfway through it. It is a quick, engaging read all about Amelia's life up until she disappeared. The author intersperses chapters about the day she disappeared with chapters about her life leading up to that day. There are also lots of insets with interesting little tidbits about things discussed in the main text (i.e., Morse code, how to fly the kind of plane Amelia flew, a picture of Amelia's pilot's license). The reading level is probably about 3rd grade and up, but it will capture the interest of older kids as well.

Other Juvenile Biographies/Autobiographies your kids might enjoy:

• When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson, by Pam Munoz Ryan
• The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum, by Candace Fleming
• Sir Charlie: Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World, by Sid Fleischman
• Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau, by Jennifer Berne
• Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku, by Ellie Crowe
• A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis, by Matt de la Pena
• Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka, by Jon Scieszka
• The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West, by Sid Fleischman

Kid lit site for kids!

Here's a rare and wonderful thing: A children's literature website that's actually for kids and by kids! The site features interviews with kids and authors, quizzes like "Are You a Harry Potter Expert?" and kid-contributed reviews. You child can sign up to created content and become an insider in the world of kid lit! If you or your child enjoy sharing your reviews of books, you can also do so through our library catalog. Just log in to your patron account from our library catalog, search for the book you'd like to review, click on "Write a Review" or the review link on the left hand side, and then click on "Add a review for this."