September 18, 2013

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Book Review Preschool to Grade 4: January 2013

By on January 1, 2013 1 Comment
redstar

 AHLBERG, Allan. The Goldilocks Variations. illus. by Jessica Ahlberg. 40p. Candlewick. 2012. RTE $17.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-6268-4.
PreS-Gr 2–With whimsical illustrations and interactive features such as flaps, pop-ups, and pull tabs, the Ahlbergs showcase six silly variations on the classic tale. The standout of the bunch has the heroine wandering into the “trood (or spaceship) of The Three Bliim.” Full of silly alien words, the tale begs to be read aloud. In other adventures, Goldilocks takes on 33 bears, the furniture (chair, bowl, and [...]

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Fiction Series Update: January 2013

By on January 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
Book Covers

The latest installments in ongoing fiction series that are well-known to most of our readers.

Filed Under: Grades 5 & Up, Preschool to Grade 4, Reviews, Teens & YA Tagged With:

Book/Multimedia Review Stars List: January 2013

By on January 1, 2013 1 Comment
Henry and the Cannons (Brown), ©2013 illustration by Don Brown

Henry and the Cannons (Brown), ©2013 illustration by Don Brown

Preschool to Grade 4

AHLBERG , Allan. The Goldilocks Variations . illus. by Jessica Ahlberg. Candlewick. p. 74.

BROWN , Don. Henry and the Cannons . illus. by author. Roaring Brook. Jan. 2013. p. 89.

BRYANT , Jen. A Splash of Red . illus. by Melissa Sweet. Knopf. Jan. 2013. p. 89.

HALPERIN , Wendy Anderson. Peace. illus. by author. S & S/Atheneum. Jan. 2013. p. 92.

HELQUIST , Brett. Grumpy Goat. illus. by author. HarperCollins/Harper. Jan. 2013. p. 78.

JEFFERS , Oliver. This Moose Belongs [...]

Filed Under: Adult Books 4 Teens, Grades 5 & Up, Multimedia Reviews, Preschool to Grade 4, Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: Abe Lincoln’s Dream

By on December 19, 2012 1 Comment
white house, lincoln flying over it

SMITH, Lane. Abe Lincoln’s Dream. illus. by author. 32p. Roaring Brook. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-1-59643-608-4.
Gr 2-5–A picture book that transforms the 16th president from a seemingly austere, severe figure into a sympathetic character. A young African American girl named Quincy encounters the ghost of Abe Lincoln on a school tour of the White House. He tells the child about a recurring dream in which he is sailing a ship on a stormy sea, unsure of where he’s heading. (The [...]

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Pick of the Day: Mice

By on December 17, 2012 Leave a Comment
mice

FYLEMAN, Rose. Mice. illus. by Lois Ehlert. 40p. S & S/Beach Lane. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5684-6; ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5686-0. LC 2011020555.
PreS-Gr 1–This storytime winner brings a new twist to the classic poem. The simple verse describes mousey attributes: “their tails are long,/their faces small,/they haven’t any chins at all.” Ehlert’s quirky, handmade paper-collage rodents (resplendent with hot pink circle ears, big front teeth, and string limbs) demonstrate by holding up a ruler, crafting a self-portrait, and peering into [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Pick of the Day, Picture Books, Preschool to Grade 4, Reviews Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: Sleep Like a Tiger

By on December 3, 2012 2 Comments
tiger wearing crown

LOGUE, Mary. Sleep Like a Tiger. illus. by Pamela Zagarenski. 40p. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-547-64102-7.
PreS-Gr 1–The common theme of a child not ready for bed receives fresh treatment here. When a young girl repeatedly declares that she is not sleepy, her parents remain calm. She dutifully dresses in pajamas and washes up. After climbing into bed, she again proclaims that she is wide awake and questions her parents about how things in the world go to sleep. [...]

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Book/Multimedia Review Stars List: December 2012

By on December 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
SLJ1212w_Star_Logue

Sleep Like a Tiger (Logue), Illustration by Pamela Zagarenski

Preschool to Grade 4

FYLEMAN , Rose. Mice . illus. by Lois Ehlert. S & S/Beach Lane. 2012. p. 90.

HANLON , Abby. Ralph Tells a Story. illus. by author. Amazon. 2012. p. 91.

LOGUE , Mary. Sleep Like a Tiger . illus. by Pamela Zagarenski. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. p. 94.

OBED , Ellen Bryan. T welve Kinds of Ice. illus. by Barbara McClintock. Houghton Harcourt. 2012. p. 96.

SMITH , Lane. Abe Lincoln’s Dream. illus. by author. Roaring Brook. 2012. p. 100.

Filed Under: Books & Media, Grades 5 & Up, Preschool to Grade 4, Reference reviews, Reviews, YA reviews Tagged With:

Preschool to Grade 4: December 2012

By on December 1, 2012 Leave a Comment

 FYLEMAN , Rose. Mice. illus. by Lois Ehlert. 40p. S & S/Beach Lane. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5684-6; ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4424-5686-0. LC 2011020555.
PreS-Gr 1–This storytime winner brings a new twist to the classic poem. The simple verse describes mousey attributes: “their tails are long,/their faces small,/they haven’t any chins at all.” Ehlert’s quirky, handmade paper-collage rodents (resplendent with hot pink circle ears, big front teeth, and string limbs) demonstrate by holding up a ruler, crafting a self-portrait, and peering into a mirror. They [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Preschool to Grade 4

A Tale of Two Apps: Classic Picture Books into Digital

By on November 29, 2012 Leave a Comment
touchgo

Adapting any children’s classic to a new format is tricky. Purists will scream it’s not the original, others will be delighted to discover a new way to enjoy an old favorite. The good news is, we aren’t being asked to choose between formats.

Filed Under: Apps, Collection Development, Featured, Preschool to Grade 4, Touch and Go Tagged With: , , , ,

Pick of the Day: Colorful Dreamer

By on November 26, 2012 Leave a Comment
figure on left wearing glasses

PARKER, Marjorie Blain. Colorful Dreamer: The Story of Artist Henri Matisse. illus. by Holly Berry. 32p. further reading. CIP. Dial. Nov. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8037-3758-7. LC 2011035446.
Gr 2-5–This picture-book biography covers Matisse’s entire life but focuses on his career aspirations and achievements. The straightforward text takes a lighthearted approach by including details such as young Henri’s dream of becoming a magician and his skill with a peashooter. Berry’s illustrations are the star of the show; dignified black-and-white drawings [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Nonfiction, Pick of the Day, Picture Books, Preschool to Grade 4, Reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Pick of the Day: Nightsong

By on November 21, 2012 1 Comment
bat against black background

BERK, Ari. Nightsong. illus. by Loren Long. 48p. CIP. S & S. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-7886-2; ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-8552-5. LC 2009026608.
K-Gr 3–Not since Janell Cannon’s Stellaluna (Harcourt, 1993) have readers been introduced to such a charming young bat learning to navigate his world. Night closes in and Chiro’s mother tells him it’s time for him to fly alone; he will succeed if he uses his song, otherwise known as his “good sense,” to guide him. Though timid [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Pick of the Day, Picture Books, Preschool to Grade 4 Tagged With: , , , ,

Pick of the Day: Unspoken

By on November 19, 2012 Leave a Comment
girl with lantern

COLE, Henry. Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad. illus. by author. 32p. CIP. Scholastic. Nov. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-545-39997-5. LC 2011043583.
Gr 3-8–Gorgeously rendered in soft, dark pencils, this wordless book is reminiscent of the naturalistic pencil artistry of Maurice Sendak and Brian Selznick, but unique in its accurate re-creation of a Civil War-era farm in northwestern Virginia. On the dedication page, readers see a star quilt on a split rail fence, symbolizing the North Star. Confederate soldiers [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Pick of the Day, Picture Books, Preschool to Grade 4 Tagged With: , , ,

Touch and Go | Animal Fact and Fiction

By on November 15, 2012 Leave a Comment
FF

It’s no secret children love learning about animals, and picture books about them are some of the most popular titles in libraries. Three apps combining story and facts about animal life have recently been made available. “Touch and Go’s” reviewers took at look at them.

Filed Under: Apps, Apps, Collection Development, Featured, Preschool to Grade 4, Touch and Go Tagged With: , , ,

Book/Multimedia Review Stars List: November 2012

By on November 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
Colorful Dreamer (PARKER) ©2010 by Holly Berry

Colorful Dreamer (PARKER) ©2010 by Holly Berry

Preschool to Grade 4

BERK , Ari. Nightsong. illus. by Loren Long. S & S. p. 70.

COLE , Henry. Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad. illus. by author. Scholastic. Nov. 2012. p. 70.

DALY , Niki. The Herd Boy. illus. by author. Eerdmans. p. 71.

GORDON , Domenica More. Archie. illus. by author. Bloomsbury. Nov. 2012. p. 76. [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Grades 5 & Up, Graphic Novel Reviews, Multimedia Reviews, Preschool to Grade 4, Reviews Tagged With:

Book Review Preschool to Grade 4: November 2012

By on November 1, 2012 Leave a Comment

BERK, Ari. Nightsong. illus. by Loren Long. 48p. CIP. S & S. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-7886-2; ebook $12.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-8552-5. LC 2009026608.
K-Gr 3–Not since Janell Cannon’s Stellaluna (Harcourt, 1993) have readers been introduced to such a charming young bat learning to navigate his world. Night closes in and Chiro’s mother tells him it’s time for him to fly alone; he will succeed if he uses his song, otherwise known as his “good sense,” to [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Preschool to Grade 4, Reviews

Pick of the Day: Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington

By on October 29, 2012 Leave a Comment
portrait of booker T.

ASIM, Jabari. Fifty Cents and a Dream: Young Booker T. Washington. illus. by Bryan Collier. 48p. bibliog. chron. Little, Brown. Dec. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-08657-8.
Gr 2-4–Here sits a barefooted boy leaning against a tree trunk, eyes closed, dreaming about reading. Here he is following his master’s daughter to school, carrying her books, feeling their “magic seeping into his hands.” Booker was born a slave, and slaves were forbidden to read. Emancipation came while he was still young. He worked [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Collection Development, Pick of the Day, Picture Books, Preschool to Grade 4 Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: Nic Bishop Snakes

By on October 24, 2012 Leave a Comment
Book cover with green snake

BISHOP, Nic. Nic Bishop Snakes. photos by author. 48p. CIP. further reading. glossary. index. Scholastic. Oct. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-545-20638-9. LC 2011039316.
Gr 3-5–Nearly two dozen close-ups of photogenic snakes are highlighted in this introduction. A lucid text, set either on different colored pages or overlaid on photo backgrounds, briefly describes basic anatomy; major physical characteristics common to all snakes; distinctive characteristics of more than a dozen world species; locomotion; diet; hunting and feeding methods; defense mechanisms; and egg-laying and [...]

Filed Under: Books & Media, Collection Development, Featured, Pick of the Day, Picture Books, Preschool to Grade 4, Reviews Tagged With: ,

Pick of the Day: The Monsters’ Monster

By on October 10, 2012 Leave a Comment
Book cover of Frankenstein and little monsters

MCDONNELL, Patrick. The Monsters’ Monster. illus. by author. 40p. Little, Brown. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-316-04547-6. LC 2011042742.
PreS-1–Three little monsters love to CRASH!, BASH!, and SMASH! Every day they argue over who is the best monster, until they join forces to “make a MONSTER monster. The biggest, baddest monster EVER!” At first, their efforts look successful, but to their horror, the creature’s first words after tearing off his bandages are “Dank you.” The enormous Frankenstein look-alike contents himself with breathing [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Pick of the Day, Picture Books, Preschool to Grade 4 Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: The Bear in the Book

By on October 8, 2012 Leave a Comment
Blue book cover with black bear

BANKS, Kate. The Bear in the Book. illus. by Greg Hallensleben. 40p. Farrar/Frances Foster. Oct. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-374-30591-8.
PreS–In this deceptively simple bedtime story, a boy snuggles up with his mother to read his favorite book. It is about a bear going to sleep for the winter, and together they look at the pictures and talk about the text. “‘Do bears really sleep all winter long?’ asked the boy.” He turns the page and notices the snow. “‘Snow is [...]

Filed Under: Pick of the Day, Picture Books, Preschool to Grade 4 Tagged With: , , ,

Fresh and Fun | Books for Emergent Readers

By on October 2, 2012 2 Comments
Castle

Whether they are taking their first steps and beginning to sound out words or making leaps and bounds toward decoding longer sentences and more complex story plots, emergent readers benefit from high-quality books that grab their interest and support their efforts. Ranging from funny tales to nonfiction, these books are guaranteed to reel in developing readers and keep them turning pages.

Filed Under: Books & Media, Collection Development, Curriculum Connections, Preschool to Grade 4 Tagged With: , , , , ,
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