We Remember . . . The Holocaust

The Holocaust is one of the most disturbing and upsetting events that has occurred in history.  I believe that children should be taught about this horrific time so that history does not repeat itself -- so that nobody has to live in fear because of their beliefs, background, or ethnicity. 
The following are some books that tell of the Holocaust for children . . .

Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
From 1939, when Syvia is four and a half years old, to 1945 when she has just turned ten, a Jewish girl and her family struggle to survive in Poland's Lodz ghetto during the Nazi occupation.

Emil and Karl by Jacob Glatstein
In Vienna, Austria, in 1940, two nine-year-old boys, one Jewish and one Aryan, are classmates and best friends when events of the Nazi occupation draw them even closer together as they fight to survive and escape together.

Torn Thread by Anne Isaacs
In an attempt to save his daughter's life, Eva's father sends her from Poland to a labor camp in Czechoslovakia where she and her sister survive the war.

The Shadow Children by Steven Schnur
While spending the summer on his grandfather's farm in the French countryside, eleven-year-old Etienne discovers a secret dating back to World War II and encounters the ghosts of Jewish children who suffered a dreadful fate under the Nazis.

Happy Hanukkah, Part 2

On this final day of Hanukkah, I thought I would share some books for teens featuring Jewish characters . . .

Me & Earl & the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Seventeen-year-old Greg has managed to become part of every social group at his Pittsburgh high school without having any friends, but his life changes when his mother forces him to befriend Rachel, a girl he once knew in Hebrew school who has leukemia.

Strange Relations by Sonia Levitin
Fifteen-year-old Marne is excited to be able to spend her summer vacation in Hawaii, not realizing the change in her lifestyle it would bring staying with her aunt, seven cousins, and uncle who is a Chasidic rabbi.


Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword by Barry Deutsch
Eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg dreams of fighting dragons and spends her days honing her skills, even though there are no dragons in her Orthodox Jewish community, but when she accepts a challenge form a mysterious witch, Mirka just might win her dragon-fighting sword after all.

Happy Hanukkah!

Check out these great books for Hanukkah . . .

Hanukkah Bear by Eric Kimmel
On the first night of Hanukkah, Old Bear wanders into Bubba Brayna's house and receives a delicious helping of potato latkes when she mistakes him for the rabbi.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah? by Jane Yolen
Illustrations and rhyming text present some of the different ways a well-behaved dinosaur can celebrate the eight days and nights of Chanukah.

Hanukkah Lights by David Martin
Simple text and illustrations depict the traditions associated with Hanukkah, including lighting a menorah, spinning a dreidel, and more.

A Confused Hanukkah: An Original Story of Chelm by Jon Koons
The villagers of Chelm, in the rabbi's absence, send a messenger to a nearby village in order to be reminded how to prepare for the coming Hanukkah.

It's a Miracle! A Hanukkah Storybook by Stephanie Spinner
Every night of Hanukkah Grandma tells a story at bedtime. Includes the Hanukkah legend, blessings, and a glossary.

Weird and Wacky Food

Are you all stuffed from your Thanksgiving eating?  How about reading a good book about some odd foods instead of eating more?  Check out these books . . .

Mouse Noses on Toast by Daren King
Paul Mouse gathers a group of mouse activists to uncover the mystery behind the delicacy known as "Mouse noses on toast" which is served in a fancy human restaurant.

Cold Cereal by Adam Rex
A boy who may be part changeling, twins involved in a bizarre secret experiment, and a clurichaun in a red tracksuit try to save the world from an evil cereal company whose ultimate goal is world domination.

Maybelle and the Haunted Cupcake by Katie Speck
Maybelle the cockroach is tired of all the rules she must follow to safely get food from Mr. and Mrs. Peabody's kitchen, but when Bernice, an ant with a head cold, insists on helping out, the situation only gets worse.

Wanna Bake Something?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I don't think I've ever come across a Thanksgiving book for teens.  So instead I thought I would continue with the food theme and share some books of teens wanting to cook . . .

Kitchen Princess by Natsumi Ando - manga
Najika is a gifted cook and attends the prestigious Seika Academy cooking school. Her friendship with two brothers, Sora and Daichi, creates resentment with other girls at the school. Her greatest rival is a popular, teen model, Akane who tries to drive Najika from the school by staging a cooking contest.

A La Carte by Tanita Davis
Lainey, a high school senior and aspiring celebrity chef, is forced to question her priorities after her best friend (and secret crush) runs away from home.

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who has raised her move from Brooklyn to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, to work as waitress and cook in the Welcome Stairways diner, they become involved with the diner owner's political campaign to oust the town's corrupt mayor.

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitch Smith
When multiple murders in Austin, Texas, threaten the grand re-opening of her family's vampire-themed restaurant, seventeen-year-old, orphaned Quincie worries that her best friend-turned-love interest, Keiren, a werewolf-in-training, may be the prime suspect.

A Reading Feast

Thanksgiving is fast approaching.  Last week I talked about several picture books about Thanksgiving.  This week, since all those books are now checked out, I thought I would share some great picture books about food.

I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child
A fussy eater decides to sample the carrots after her brother convinces her that they are really orange twiglets from Jupiter.

Worms for Lunch? by Leonid Gore
Easy-to-read text and die-cut illustrations allow various creatures to reveal what they like to eat.

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Little Pea hates eating candy for dinner, but his parents will not let him have his spinach dessert until he cleans his plate.

The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturges
In this version of the traditional tale, the duck, the dog, and the cat refuse to help the Little Red Hen make a pizza but do get to participate when the time comes to eat it.

Whopper Cake by Karma Wilson
Grandad bakes Grandma a whopper of a birthday cake. Includes recipe and directions for chocolate cake.


Also -- come by the Arnold Branch this Wednesday (11/27/13) at 11:30 a.m. to watch the movie version of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.

Fortunately, the Milk

Mother is out of town and Father forgot to get milk for breakfast. 

On the way back from corner shop he hears a humming noise and looks up to find an alien ship. 

This is just the start of Father's amazing journey through space and time on his quest to bring the milk home for his children's breakfast.  Along the way he'll meet pirates, vampires, a volcano god, and a time-traveling dinosaur in a hot air balloon.

Will he ever make it home to his children with the milk?  And will they believe this amazing story he has to tell?

Neil Gaiman has come up with another great book!  Fortunately, the Milk is nonsensical, entertaining and great fun to read!  The line drawings by Skottie Young bring the book to life.  A definite must read for all!