The Most Perfect Spot by Diane Goode is a charming picture book. It is the story of Jack, a little boy who wants to take his mother to the perfect place for a picnic. So they head together to the park. As they go through the park, each perfect place they find has something go terribly wrong with it. Horses gallop through, rain starts, the carousel goes too fast, and much more. Readers who are paying attention to the illustrations will notice that most of the trouble is caused by a little white dog who is following them around. Though the perfect length for storytimes, this book is best enjoyed with a small group or single child because of the humor and detail of the illustrations. A great Mother’s Day or mother unit story, share this one with your little picnic lover.
Month: July 2006
Carnegie Winner
The Carnegie Medal was just announced today. Tamar by Mal Peet has won. Here is how the site describes the winner:
This is an enthralling and multi-layered novel that traces the story of two men caught up in secret operations in World War Two. It looks at the negative impact that war has on those involved and on succeeding generations. Guilt and its ramifications lie at the heart of this well-written and serious novel that skilfully interweaves past and present.
Mermaid Dreams
Mermaid Dreams by Mark Sperring, illustrated by the Pope Twins.
Mermaid Dreams is the charming story of Meriam who does not like to get ready for bed. Meriam’s wild hair flows across both the book’s cover and many of its pages as she brushes her teeth, gets her tangles combed out, and gets ready for bed. But what does her mother find in her hair? A shell, a fish, a starfish, and seaweed. Meriam describes what she has done all day: visited the beach, swum deep down underwater. And finally gives her mother a pearl that she found. Only at the very end is it revealed that Meriam is a mermaid.
This clever book will have children delighted at the end by the surprise. Yes, grownups will have it figured out long before, but part of the charm of the story is the surprise itself. The illustrations are fabulous, filled with water, waves, sand and creatures, they echo and reinforce the magic of mermaids.
Share this with mermaid crazed girls, but don’t forget that boys enjoy a surprise too. It is the perfect length for reading aloud and should be added to summer storytimes about beaches and swimming.
Half of an Elephant
Half of an Elephant by Gusti is a strange picture book but not without its own unique charm. It is the story of what happened when all of a sudden the world cracks in two. Poor elephant is left without his back half and sets out to find it. On the way, he meets many other half animals and even tries to unite with some of them, but it doesn’t work out. When the world suddenly joins back together again, elephant finds his back end, but their relationship has changed.
Strange enough for you? Well, add in the industrial feel of the illustrations, created from collages of corrugated cardboard, wood, found items, and tools, and you have a very unique book. The illustrations are a draw for kids, who will enjoy looking at the strange creatures made from wrenches, screws and bolts.
Give this special book a chance. It has a unique perspective and a fantastic visual edge.
Published in September 2006.
Midwestern Lodestar
Midwestern Lodestar is the blogger that read the most books during a challenge 48 hours of reading recently. Since then, her blog has continued to grow as she spends each weekend reading away. It is a nice blog with succinct takes on children’s books that are only updated once a week, making it easy to keep up with the amazing amount of reading she does.
Scholastic Reading Survey
A big thank-you to my new colleague, Marge, who shared this fascinating new study with me. Marge is Head of Children’s Services Extraordinaire here at Menasha Public Library. The Kids and Family Reading Report is interesting reading for anyone teaching children or serving them. It offers amazing statistics that show that children who read more have higher perceptions of themselves. Hurrah! My theory is that children use books both to understand that they are not alone in their own situations and feelings and that they also use books to better understand that others out there are different from them. Both very powerful things to comprehend as a child.
I was also fascinated to see that the number one reason kids cite for not reading more is that they can’t find books they enjoy! Librarians and teachers take note! This a huge opportunity for us! Step up, rally the troops, and both listen to the children about what they like to read and then get those perfect books that fill our shelves right into their hands.
There are many more points made by the survey. It is definitely worth reading on your own to see how it can inspire you as a parent, teacher, librarian. Oh, it is a pdf document so make sure you have Adobe loaded and remember that they work best on a fast Internet connection or with lots of patience.
PAWEDCasts
Paws, Claws, Scales and Tales is this summer’s theme for many of the public libraries in the U.S. The California Summer Reading Program has a nice series of “PAWEDCasts” that you can listen to online. The podcasts have songs, books, and much more. Great fun to add to your programming and to share with others.
Girl, Going on 17, Pants on Fire
Girl, Going on 17: Pants on Fire by Sue Limb.
If you have not read the first book in this series: Girl, 15, Charming but Insane, you really must! Sue Limb is a British author who manages to capture the horror and joy of being a teenager with hysterical humor.
Now that Jess is 17 years old and happily going out with her perfect Fred, what could go wrong? Well, how about having a really awful row with Fred right before school starts, discovering that her favorite teacher has been replaced for the term with an utter hag, and finding herself in the tiniest bit of trouble wearing a short skirt and no underwear. This is perfect British chick lit for teens. I would compare it to Bridget Jones, but I find Limb’s writing deadly funny and right on the mark almost all the time. I was glad to find that Limb had returned to a school setting for this third book in the series. Though the second was funny, this one returns to the glory of the first book.
Great fun fluff to recommend to any Anglophile teen and even those who aren’t. This book is the perfect humorous counterpoint to all of the horror and angst found in most teen books.
Waking Brain Cells 