February 16, 2013

Fusenews: “…there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run / There’s still time to change the road you’re on.”

The last few days have been a blur, helped not a bit by a toddler who suddenly took it into her head that 4:45 a.m. is a perfectly reasonable time to wake up and that perfectly reasonable people should be up and about and WHY ISN’T MOMMY BEING PERFECTLY REASONABLE ABOUT THIS???? … WAAAAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!  So [...]

Fusenews: The P.D. Eastman Influence

Collage of Spanish Book covers

Hope you all had a marvelous Thanksgiving yesterday!  I had family in town, including my niece and brother-in-law.  Steve, the bro-in-law in question, has a kind of genius for synthesizing down P.D. Eastman books to their most essential lessons.  He’s always objected to Are You My Mother? on the basis that this baby bird is [...]

News Bites: Free Video Series from NBC Learn: “Writers Speak to Kids”

writers speak to kids

Watch a series of 17 interviews with children’s author’s for free, apply for book donation and literacy grants, get free writing rubrics, and much more—just check out this week’s News Bites for lots of great information for librarians, teachers, and everyone involved in education.

Pick of the Day: Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion (DVD)

DVD Cover of little girl stuffed bunny

Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion. DVD. 13 min. with tchr’s. guide. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-044753-9. $59.95; CD, ISBN 978-0-545-044758-4: $12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-44810-9: $29.95.
PreS-Gr 1–Mo Willems’s conclusion (Balzer + Bray, 2012) to his Knuffle Bunny trilogy begins with a photographic sequence of Trixie’s growth from previous books and closes with a similar sequence chronicling Trixie’s journey of maturation. Trixie and her family take a plane to visit her grandparents, Oma and Opa, in Holland. When [...]

Fresh and Fun | Books for Emergent Readers

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.

Pick of the Day: Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct (DVD)

DVD pink cover with illustrated dinosaur

Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct. DVD. 7 min. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-37414-9. $59.59; CD: ISBN 978-0-545-37498-9: $ 12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-44813-0: $29.95.
PreS-Gr 2–Edwina the dinosaur helps out in her community, bakes chocolate-chip cookies, and everyone loves her, except for Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie, the class know-it-all, who is positive that dinosaurs are extinct. When Reginald makes it his mission to force the townspeople to accept that fact, no one bothers to listen to [...]

On the Radar: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: Another Look at New Titles from Favorite Authors

book cover: illustrated rocks on white background

As summer comes to a close, we think of things we love: walks on the beach, watermelons, and time to read whatever we want. So as you gear up for the fall, take that last walk on the beach, go to your farmer’s market and select fresh fruits and vegetables for dinner, and settle down in your cozy backyard chair with a pile of books from your favorite authors. Take a look at these new titles from some of our literature stars.