Birds of the World

In January, the focus at the JCL-Arnold Branch was Birds.  It was the focus of much of our programming.  So, this week, I am sharing some great nonfiction, informational books about birds.

What It's Like to Be a Bird by David Allen Sibley
This book shows how birds and humans are intrinsically connected, sometimes helping and sometimes hindering each other. Adapted for young readers from the bestselling work written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley, this unique book is perfect for dedicated bird-watchers--or for anyone who simply delights in noticing birds in their neighborhood.

A Bird Is a Bird by Lizzy Rockwell

Describes the unique features that birds have, including beaks, wings, and feathers, and how they are used by different varieties of birds.

Winter Moon by Jean Craighead George

A song sparrow, a mole, a bear, and an owl must struggle through the cold, harsh months of winter.

More Books --

12 Birds Back From the Brink by Nancy Furstinger

About Parrots: A Guide for Children by Cathryn P. Sill

Bald Eagles: Prey-Snatching Birds by Laura Hamilton Waxman

Bird Guide of North America by Jonathan K. Alderfer

Birds of Paradise: Winged Wonders by Cynthia Unwin

Can You Find These Birds? by Carmen Bredeson

Chickenology: The Ultimate Encyclopedia by Barbara Sandri

Magnificent Birds by Narisa Togo

My Pet Bird by Lynn Hamilton

Ostriches: Fast Flightless Birds by Laura Hamilton Waxman

The Puffin Plan: Restoring Seabirds to Egg Rock and Beyond by Stephen W. Kress

Snowy Owls: Stealthy Hunting Birds by Rebecca E. Hirsch

Vultures and Other Birds by Tracie Santos

Reading Is (NOT) for the Birds!

This week, I'm sharing chapter books featuring stories about birds.  Here are a few of my favorites . . . .

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
The unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions.

Thundercluck! by Paul Tillery
Thundercluck is a powerful chicken favored by the gods and, with the help of the goddess Brunhilde, undertakes a dangerous mission to defeat the evil Cook and other villains who are threatening the kingdom of Asgard.

Funny Frank by Dick King-Smith
Gertie the hen is appalled when her son Frank wants to swim with the ducks, but Jemima and her mother, the farmer's wife, make him a special outfit so that his dream can come true.

Frightful's Mountain by Jean Craighead George
As she grows through the first years of her life in the Catskill Mountains of New York, a peregrine falcon called Frightful interacts with various humans, including the boy who raised her, a falconer who rescues her, and several unscrupulous poachers.


More Books --
The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell
Benny Bensky and the Parrot Napper by Mary Borsky
Captain Tweakerbeak's Revenge by Charles Haddad
The Capture by Kathryn Lasky
Gay-Neck by Dhan Gopal Mukerji
Pablo and Birdy by Alison McGhee
Poppy by Avi
Sam the Man and the Chicken Plan by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Scarlet Ibis by Gill Lewis
The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt
The Wheel on the School by Meindert de Jong
Zack and the Turkey Attack! by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor


Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through September 13, 2019.

Could You? Would You? Survive

One of the most popular responses when I ask what type of book a kids wants is . . . survival stories.  It seems to particularly popular with reluctant readers.  So this week I am sharing some of my favorite survival stories for kids . . . .

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.

Fallout by Todd Strasser

When an unthinkable nuclear attack occurs in an alternate-reality 1962, Scott is forced into his father's bomb shelter with his family and neighbors, where they rapidly consume limited supplies and fear the worst about the fate of the world outside.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.

Prisoner 88 by Leah Pileggi

In 1885, ten-year-old Jake is sent to prison for killing a man who threatened his father, and struggles to survive the harsh realities of prison life in the Idaho Territory.

More Survival Stories --

The Boy Who Spoke Dog by Clay Morgan

The Earth Dragon Awakes: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 by Laurence Yep

Emma's River by Alison Hart

Floodland by Marcus Sedgwick

Getting Air by Dan Gutman

Hurricane: A Novel by Terry Trueman

Ice Drift by Theodore Taylor

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods

Small As an Elephant by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements

Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through May 8, 2015.

Could You Survive?

Whether it is a boy determined to live in the wild by himself, or children trying to survive an earthquake and the deadly fires afterwards, survival stories are exciting to read.  Would you be able to survive the disasters in the following books?

 The Earth Dragon Awakes by Laurence Yep
Eight-year-old Henry and nine-year-old Chin love to read about heroes in popular "penny dreadful" novels, until they both witness real courage while trying to survive the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
A young boy relates his adventures during the year he spends living alone in the Catskill Mountains including his struggle for survival, his dependence on nature, his animal friends, and his ultimate realization that he needs human companionship.

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
When the Sudanese civil war reaches his village in 1985, eleven-year-old Salva becomes separated from his family and must walk with other Dinka tribe members through southern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya in search of safe haven.

The Voyage of the Frog by Gary Paulsen
When David goes out on his sailboat to scatter his recently deceased uncle's ashes to the wind, he is caught in a fierce storm and must survive many days on his own as he works out his feelings about life and his uncle.

Emma's River by Alison Hart
In 1852, Emma, her pregnant mother and her pony board the steamboat Sally May to meet her father in St. Joseph, Missouri, but when the ship suddenly explodes in a fiery blaze, Emma and all onboard must fight for their survival in the icy waters of the Missouri River.

More Survival Stories --
Blind Mountain by Jane Thomas
Hurricane by Terry Trueman
Into the Firestorm by Deborah Hopkinson
Saint Louis Armstrong Beach by Brenda Woods
Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Jacobson