Monday, September 24, 2018

Rhyme Time

Children love rhyming books.  They love the word play and guessing what word will come next. 
This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite rhyming picture books . . . . .

Aunt Lucy Went to Buy a Hat by Alice Low
Rhyming tale of a woman who sets out to replace her lost hat, but winds up with a cat and a succession of other items instead.

Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
As three dust bunnies, Ed, Ned, and Ted, are demonstrating how much they love to rhyme, a fourth, Bob, is trying to warn them of approaching danger.

Chicken in the Kitchen by Tony Johnston
When a crazy chicken wreaks havoc in the kitchen there is just one thing to do--prepare a nest so that she will settle down.

If You're Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre
In rhyming text reminiscent of the traditional song, "If you're happy and you know it," presents various animals that are hoppy, sloppy, growly, flappy, or slimy, scaly and mean.

A Boy and His Bunny by Sean Bryan
One morning, a boy wakes up with a rabbit on his head and, although his mother is skeptical, he soon discovers that he can be fed, ride a bobsled, and even look cool with a rabbit on his head.


More Rhyming Books --
All in a Day by Cynthia Rylant
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema
Clap Your Hands by Lorina Bryan Cauley
The Completed Hickory Dickory Dock by Jim Aylesworth
The Curious Cares of Bears by Douglas Florian
Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? by Susan A. Shea
A Dog Needs a Bone by Audrey Wood
Duddle Puck: The Puddle Duck by Karma Wilson
Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox
The Farmer's Away! Baa! Neigh! by Anne Vittur Kennedy
Flip Flop Bop by Matt Novak
Go, Go, Grapes! A Fruit Chant by April Pulley Sayre
Good Night Pillow Fight by Sally Cook
The Great Dog Wash by Shellie Braeuner
Happy Bees by Arthur Yorinks
Hop, Hop, Jump! by Lauren Thompson
Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber
Mice by Rose Fyleman
Nanette's Baguette by Mo Willems
One Big Pair of Underwear by Laura Gehl
One Two That's My Shoe! by Alison Murray
Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore by David McPhail
A Plane Goes Ka-Zoom by Jonathan London
Roadwork by Sally Sutton
Snowbots by Aaron Reynolds
Some Bugs by Angela DeTerlizzi
Toys Galore by Peter Stein
Two at the Zoo by Danna Smith
Very Boring Alligator by Jean Gralley
What the Baby Hears by Laura Godwin
When Cows Come Home by David L. Harrison
Wiggle by Doreen Cronin
Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields


Check these and more rhyming books out on display at the Arnold Branch through October 12, 2018.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Barakamon series by Satsuki Yoshino

Seishuu Handa is a young calligrapher who moves himself to an isolated, rural island to focus on his work.  Unfortunately, the local residents are not letting him do that.  The head chief constantly interrupts him to talk as does the school headmaster.  But the worst is the young girl Naru who believes his house is her base of play.


While the main character Handa is 23 years old, he comes across as a teenager in his awkwardness in dealing with other people.  He wants to be alone to focus on his work and yet keeps getting involved in the his neighbors.  I would recommend this manga series for older teens in interest.

Monday, September 17, 2018

Diversity in Teen Fiction

This week, I'm highlighting teen fiction that features diverse characters . . . .

Iron Cast by Destiny Soria
In 1919 Boston, best friends Corinne and Ada perform illegally as illusionists in an infamous gangster's nightclub, using their "afflicted" blood to con Boston's elite, until the law closes in.

Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali
Fifteen-year-old Janna Yusuf, a Flannery O'Connor-obsessed book nerd and the daughter of the only divorced mother at their mosque, tries to make sense of the events that follow when her best friend's cousin--a holy star in the Muslim community--attempts to assault her at the end of sophomore year.

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
Suzette returns home to Los Angeles from boarding school and grapples with her bisexual identity when she and her brother Lionel fall in love with the same girl, pushing Lionel's bipolar disorder to spin out of control and forcing Suzette to confront her own demons

You're Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner
When Julia finds a slur about her best friend scrawled across the back of the Kingston School for the Deaf, she covers it up with a beautiful (albeit illegal) graffiti mural.


More Diverse Teen Fiction --
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
American Panda by Gloria Chao
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Saenz
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan
The Belles by Dhonielle J. Clayton
Down and Across: A Novel by Arvin Ahmadi
Dumplin' by Julie Murphy
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper
The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena
Gobi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany Jackson
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
A Thousand Beginnings and Endings by Ellen Oh
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through October 5, 2018.

Monday, September 10, 2018

Spend Some Time in Nature

This week, I am sharing some children's chapter books featuring stories about nature.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury
In 1975, eleven Boy Scouts, their leaders, and some new friends camping at Halape, Hawaii, find their survival skills put to the test when a massive earthquake strikes, followed by a tsunami.

Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse by Tamera Will Wissinger
In this novel told through poems, nine-year-old Sam loves fishing with his dad, so when his pesky little sister horns in on their fishing trip, he is none too pleased. Includes primer on rhyme, poetry techniques, rhythm, stanzas, and poetic forms.

The Terrible Two Go Wild by Mac Barnett
School's out, and Miles and Niles are running wild in the woods outside town: climbing trees, exploring caves, and, yes, pranking. But these leafy, lazy days of mischief darken when bully Josh Barkin and his cadets from a nearby kids' boot camp discover the merrymakers--and vow to destroy them.

A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
The fifth grade's annual camping trip in the woods tests Mark's survival skills and his ability to relate to a teacher who seems out to get him.


More Books --
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look
Bartleby of the Mighty Mississippi by Phyllis Shalant
Bongo Fishing by Thacher Hurd
Brian's Hunt by Gary Paulson
Emma Dilemma and the Camping Nanny by Patricia Hermes
Gone Camping: A Novel in Verse by Tamera Will Wissinger
The Green Dog: A Mostly True Story by Suzanne Fisher Staples
Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
The Island by Gary Paulsen
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things by Wendelin VanDraanen
Tree Castle Island by Jean Craighead George
The Wild Bunch by Jan Gangsei



Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through September 28, 2018.

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Five year old Laura Ingalls lives in the big woods of Minnesota with her Pa, Ma, older sister Mary, and baby Carrie.  Over the course of a year, we learn about her traditional farm life.  Laura and Mary spend their time helping Ma with the chores, listening to Pa tell them stories, and playing. 

This is the first book in the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Considered a classic, this audiobook version narrated by Cherry Jones is a great listen for children of all ages.