Day: December 18, 2006

Nestle Book Awards

| Tasha

The Nestlé Children’s Book Prize Award from the UK has been announced! And the winners are:

Ages 9-11

The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding.

Silver:  The Tide Knot by Helen Dunmore
Bronze: The Pig Who Saved the World by Paul Shipton (out in paperback in the U.S.)

Ages 6-8

Mouse Noses on Toast by Daren King.

Silver: Hugo Pepper by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell (coming in Feb. 2007 in the U.S.)
Bronze: The Adventures of The Dish and The Spoon by Mini Grey (available in U.S.)

Ages 5 & Under

    That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell (available in the U.S.)

Silver:  The Emperor of Absurdia by Chris Riddell (available in the U.S.)
Bronze:  Wibbly Pig’s Silly Big Bear by Mick Inkpen (available in the U.S.)

NPR Recommended Books

| Tasha

NPR has their own list of recommended titles for gifts.  Or in my case, for hoarding all to myself and reading!  Covering picture books to teen novels, they have some of my favorite titles and more that I haven’t read yet.  Hurrah!

Mo Willems

| Tasha

Way cool!  Mo Willems has a blog filled with doodles, letters from children, and art galore.  I particularly like the Kung-Fu pigeons and the suggestion for a new Pigeon title. 

Thanks to A Fuse #8 Production for the link.

The Monster in the Backpack

| Tasha

The Monster in the Backpack by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones.

Annie just got a beautiful new backpack with pink and blue flowers.  But an unexpected surprise came along, a little orange monster.  The monster eats Annie’s lunch, except for the carrots, puts gum in one of her boots, and rips up her homework.  Annie is very annoyed, but by the end of the day, she realizes that what she has in her backpack is actually very special and something that she could never get rid of. 

With this unique premise for a beginning chapter book, the book is a lot of fun.  The monster is incredibly cute and nonthreatening.  Readers will giggle at his antics that drive Annie crazy.  The book leaves everyone wishing for a monster in their backpack too.

Recommended as a beginning reader with a great sense of fun.  Beginning readers in first and second grade are sure to enjoy it.

Pixie stix kids pix

| Tasha

pixie stix kids pix is a great blog from Kristen McLean, author of children’s books and Executive Director of The Association of Booksellers for Children. Her site is filled with book reviews that are rated on a 10 point scale. It is great to get the perspective from the bookselling industry.