A Few of My Favorite Things (Books)

 This week, I'm sharing some of my favorite chapter books for kids . . . .

Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill

It's the 1920s, and Bo was headed for an Alaska orphanage when she won the hearts of two tough gold miners who set out to raise her, enthusiastically helped by all the kind people of the nearby Eskimo village.

The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall by Tony Johnston

Living in the boiler room of the school where her father is janitor seems normal to fourth grader Martha Snapdragon, until she has experiences reminiscent of the Arthurian legends.

The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler

Zita, cast aside by her father and raised as a kitchen maid, learns when she is nearly twelve that she is a princess and that her twelve sisters love her, and so when she discovers they are victims of an evil enchantment, she desperately tries to save them.

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright

A mysterious dollhouse and dolls that move on their own lead Amy, twelve, and her mentally-disabled sister Louann, eleven, to investigate the mystery surrounding grisly murders that occured years before.

More Books --

Below by Meg McKinlay

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Can of Worms by Kathy Mackel

Dial-A-Ghost by Eva Ibbotson

Fairy Tale Comics by Chris Duffy

The Floods: Good Neighbors by Colin Thompson

Mr. and Mrs. Bunny: Detectives Extraordinaire by Polly Horvath

The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo

This Would Make a Good Story Some Day by Dana Alison Levy

Up and Down Scratchy Mountain by Laurel Snyder

Mrs. Heather's Favorite Books from Childhood

 This week, we are sharing some of Mrs. Heather's favorite chapter books from her childhood.  Read them and see if they're a favorite of yours too.

Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech

Twins Dallas and Florida have grown up in a terrible orphanage but their lives change forever when an eccentric but sweet older couple invites them each on an adventure, beginning in an almost magical place called Ruby Holler.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Stephanie's uncle Gordon is a writer of horror fiction. But when he dies and leaves her his estate, Stephanie learns that while he may have written horror it certainly wasn't fiction. Pursued by evil forces, Stephanie finds help from an unusual source - the wisecracking skeleton of a dead sorcerer.

The Girl With the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts

Katie can make things move with her mind and understand what animals are thinking and one day, suspecting that there are three others with her powers, she runs away to find them.

Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary

The part of third grade Ellen Tebbits likes most is having Austine Allen for her best friend.

More Books --

Artemis Fowl by Eion Colfer

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones

The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

The Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mary Ann Saves the Day by Ann M. Martin

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Scooby Doo and the Case of the Carnival Clown by Laurie S. Sutton

Stuart Little by E.B. White

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

A Few of Miss Amy's Favorite Chapter Books

 This week I'm sharing a few of my favorite chapter books for kids . . .

Bo at Ballard Creek by Kirkpatrick Hill

It's the 1920s, and Bo was headed for an Alaska orphanage when she won the hearts of two tough gold miners who set out to raise her, enthusiastically helped by all the kind people of the nearby Eskimo village.

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper

On his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the Old Ones, destined to seek the six magical Signs that will enable the Old Ones to triumph over the evil forces of the Dark.

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.

Magic Below Stairs by Caroline Stevermer

Ten-year-old Frederick, who is surreptitiously watched over by a household elf, is plucked from a London orphanage to be a servant to a wealthy wizard, and eventually his uncanny abilities lead him to become the wizard's apprentice.

Naked Bunyip Dancing by Steven Herrick

This novel in verse follows the school year of Australian students in classroom 6C, as their unconventional teacher encourages them to discover their own strengths and talents and perform in a memorable concert.

More Favorites --

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

The Floods: Good Neighbors by Colin Thompson

Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

Horton Halfpot by Tom Anglberger

A Long Line of Cakes by Deborah Wiles

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy

Ms. Rapscott's Girls by Elise Primavera

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

Shivers! The Pirate Who's Afraid of Everything by Annabeth Bondor-Stone

The Spoon in the Bathroom Wall by Tony Johnston

The Unlucky Lottery Winners of Classroom 13 by Honest Lee

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through December 11, 2020.

Our Favorite Books of 2019 -- Chapter Books

This week, I am sharing some of our favorite chapter books from 2019 . . . .

The Next Great Paulie Fink by Ali Benjamin
Led by new student Caitlyn, seventh-graders at a tiny rural school in Vermont create a reality-show inspired competition to determine who will replace the school's legendary class clown, Paulie Fink.

Bernard Pepperlin by Cara Hoffman
When a girl in a blue dress crashes the Mad Hatter's tea party, the sleepy Dormouse wishes he could be a part of her adventure. As luck would have it, fate sends the Dormouse on an adventure of his own.

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
Sent with her mother to the safety of a relative's home in Cincinnati when her Syrian hometown is overshadowed by violence, Jude worries for the family members who were left behind as she adjusts to a new life with unexpected surprises.

Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos
Autistic and nearly nonverbal, twelve-year-old Nova is happy in her new foster home and school, but eagerly anticipates the 1986 Challenger launch, for which her sister, Bridget, promised to return.

More Books --

All the Greys on Greene Street by Laura Tucker

Caterpillar Summer by Gillian McDunn

Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Estrada Kelly

The Library of Ever by Zeno Alexander
The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake
My Fate According to the Butterfly by Gail D. Villanueva
Pay Attention Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt
Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai
Strange Birds by Celia C. Perez
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
We're Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through February 7, 2020.

Story Time Favorites

We are often asked for recommendations of books to read to classrooms and group settings.  So this wee, I am sharing some of our favorite books to use for story time.  These are great books to use in group settings for kids of all ages.

Bunnies!!! by Kevan Atteberry
A monster searches everywhere to find the things he loves: bunnies!!!

Moo by David LaRochelle
When Cow gets her hooves on the farmer's car, she takes it for a wild ride through the country.

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? by Jan Thomas
Chicken's cow visitors try to jump, dance, and wiggle on his couch, which is much too tiny for such exuberant activities.

The Croaky Pokey by Ethan Long
Frogs sing and do their own version of the Hokey Pokey.

Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
The carrots that grow in Crackenhopper Field are the fattest and crispiest around and Jasper Rabbit cannot resist pulling some to eat each time he passes by, until he begins hearing and seeing creepy carrots wherever he goes.

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
In this book with no pictures, the reader has to say every silly word, no matter what.


More Books --
Bear on a Bike by Stella Blackstone
Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere
Birds by Kevin Henkes
A Boy and His Bunny by Sean Bryan
Chicken Cheeks by Michael Ian Black
The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson
Cupcake by Charise Mericle Harper
Dinosaur Kisses by David Ezra Stein
Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea
Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPucchio
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Groovy Joe: Ice Cream & Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin
The Happy Day by Ruth Krauss
Hugless Douglas by David Melling
If You're Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre
It's a Tiger! by David LaRochelle
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Let's Count Goats by Mem Fox
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Mosquitoes Can't Bite Ninjas by Jordan P. Novak
Mr. Putney's Quacking Dog by Jon Agee
Mustache Baby by Bridget Heos
My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman
My Monster Mama Loves Me So by Laura Leuck
My Rhinoceros by Jon Agee
Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton
A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis
Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske
The Police Cloud by Christoph Niemann
Press Here by Herve Tullet
Snow by Uri Shulevitz
Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Still a Gorilla by Kim Norman
There's a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
The Watermelon Seed by Greg Pizzoli

Check these and more story time favorite books out on display at the Arnold Branch through October 4, 2019.

My Favorite Dr. Seuss Books

Each year for Read Across America, we hold a Dr. Seuss Read-A-Rama where community members read their favorite Dr. Seuss stories to children in the library.  It is one of my favorite programs each year.  Since, Read Across America is coming up on Thursday (March 2), I thought I would share my favorite Dr. Seuss books to share with kids . . . .

Fox in Socks
I love reading this silly tongue twister book with older kids.  I've read it often enough that I can read it very, very quickly.  Before reading the book, I will ask kids to keep track of any "mistakes" I make while reading the book.  I start off at a normal speed.  After reading several pages, I'll ask if they want me to go faster.  I continue to ask that throughout the book until I reach top speed for the last 2-3 pages.  I can usually read the book making only 7-8 mistakes.  If the children are older, I'll ask for some volunteers to try reading to see if they can do it without mistakes.  If I'm in a school setting, I'll sometimes do a competition with the teachers to see who reads it best.


Yertle the Turtle
I love the short story Yertle the Turtle in the compilation book of the same name.  It is the rare Dr. Seuss story with a message that I like.  I think the lesson is included in the story in a more subtle way than usual.  I think it works great with preschoolers all the way up to high school.  With the older children and teens, you can get into the comparisons with political systems and discuss dictatorships.

My Many Colored Day
This is one book that most people never associate with Dr. Seuss.  It is nothing like most of his books from the rhyming scheme to the illustrations, it is a very different Dr. Seuss.  It is a great book to use with younger children to introduce the different emotions and feelings.  It explains them all by comparing them to colors, animals, and objects.

Hooray for Diffendoofer Day
This is another Dr. Seuss book that a lot of people are not familiar with.  The text was started by Dr. Seuss and then completed by Jack Prelutsky after Seuss's death.  Prelutsky used the story notes Dr. Seuss had left to finish the story.  It was then illustrated by Lane Smith so the illustrations are very different from the classic Seuss stories.  This is a great book to read in schools around test time as both the students and the teachers enjoy the story of a school that does magnificently on a standardized test.

Miss Amy's Go-To Chapter Books

When asked for a good book to read, I have a few go-to books that I like to recommend.  Here are some of my favorite chapter books . . .

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized.

Magyk by Angie Sage
After learning that she is the Princess, Jenna is whisked from her home and carried toward safety by the Extraordinary Wizard, those she always believed were her father and brother, and a young guard known only as Boy 412--pursued by agents of those who killed her mother ten years earlier.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry
Soon after Peter, an orphan, sets sail from England on the ship Never Land, he befriends and assists Molly, a young Starcatcher, whose mission is to guard a trunk of magical stardust from a greedy pirate and the native inhabitants of a remote island.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Gen flaunts his ingenuity as a thief and relishes the adventure which takes him to a remote temple of the gods where he will attempt to steal a precious stone.

Story Time Favorites

Today I thought I would share some of my favorite books to use in story times.  All of these books are excellent for large or small groups . . . .

The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli
An imaginative young child has a wonderful time playing with a box he receives for his birthday.

Bubble Bath Pirates by Jarrett Krosoczka
When pirate mommy announces bath time, it is yo ho ho and to the bath we go for her little pirates.

Llama, Llama, Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
At bedtime, a little llama worries after his mother puts him to bed and goes downstairs.

Seven Blind Mice by Ed Young
Retells in verse the Indian fable of the blind men discovering different parts of an elephant and arguing about its appearance.

T Is for Terrible by Peter McCarty
A tyrannosaurus rex explains that he cannot help it that he is enormous and hungry and is not a vegetarian.

More Story Time Favorites --
Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller
Cowlick! by Christian Ditchfield
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
The Happy Hocky Family by Lane Smith
I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
On Top of Spaghetti by Paul Brett Johnson
Silly Tilly by Eileen Spinelli
Snip, Snap! What's That? by Mara Bergman
A Visitor for Bear by Bonnie Becker
What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas