February 28, 2016

Books to Celebrate Easter


I did a previous blog encouraging themed browsing boxes at home.  I love playing librarian to my daughter and creating a collection of holiday books for her learn about, enjoy, and celebrate the season.  I recently put together a browsing box full of Easter books.  Below is a list of Easter books for you to create your own themed browsing box at home.  Happy reading!

Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes
Happy Easter, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff
Llama Llama Easter Egg by Anna Dewdney
Duck & Goose: Here Comes the Easter Bunny! by Tad Hills
Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure by Kimberly and James Dean
The Easter Egg by Jan Brett
The Easter Bunny’s Assistant by Jan Thomas
Marley and the Great Easter Egg Hunt by John Grogan
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick! by Lucille Colandro
Easter by Gail Gibbons
Crafts for Easter by Kathy Ross
How to Draw Easter Symbols by Christine Webster
Max’s Easter Surprise by Rosemary Wells
Easter Bugs by David Carter
Easter Parade: A Pop Up Book by Andrea Green
Somebunny Loves You by Rachel Hale
Spot’s First Easter by Eric Hill
Ollie’s Easter Eggs by Olivier Dunrea
Hoppy Clubhouse Easter by Marcy Kelman
Where’s Baby’s Easter Eggs? by Karen Katz
Biscuit’s Pet & Play Easter by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Happy Easter, Biscuit! by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
A Very Busy Bunny by Barbie Heit
Happy Easter, Baby! by Sara Miller
Team Umizoomi: Follow That Egg! by Brain L. Perkins
Spongebob: Show Me the Bunny! by Steven Banks
Minnie: Easter Bonnet Parade by Bill Scollon
Mickey’s Easter Hunt by Sheila Sweeny Higginson
Disney Princess: A Royal Easter by Andrea Posner-Sanchez
Disney Princess: A Princess Easter by Andrea Posner-Sanchez
Doc McStuffins: Bunny in a Basket by Sheila Sweeny Higginson
Strawberry Shortcake: Easter Surprise by Amy Ackelsberg
Dora’s Easter Basket by Sarah Willson
Dora: Eggs for Everyone! by Laura Driscoll
Hello Kitty: Happy Easter by Rebecca Gomez
Barbie: An Egg-cellent Easter by Rebecca Frazer
Backyardigans: The Mystery of the Jeweled Eggs by Lara Bergen
Mater and the Easter Buggy by Kiki Thorpe
Cars: The Easter Buggy by Frank Berrios
Toy Story: The Bunny Surprise by Apple Jordan
It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown by Charles Schulz
The Easter Beagle Returns by Charles Schulz
Lego City: Follow That Easter Egg! by Trey King
Fancy Nancy’s Elegant Easter by Jane O’Connor
Pinkalicious: Eggstraordinary Easter by Victoria Kann
The Night Before Easter by Natasha Wing
Clifford’s Happy Easter by Norman Bridwell
Peppa’s Easter Egg Hunt by Ladybird Books
Corduroy’s Easter Party by Don Freeman
Corduroy’s Easter by Don Freeman
Here Comes T Rex Cottontail by Lois Grambling
Happy Easter, Little Critter by Mercer Mayer
The Dumb Bunny’s Easter by Due Denim
Pooh’s Easter Egg Hunt by Isabel Gaines
Bunny’s Easter Egg by Anne Mortimer
It’s Easter, Pooh! by Andrea Posner-Sanchez
The Easter Bear? by Ann Braybrooks
Minnie & Moo: Attack of the Easter Bunnies by Denys Cazet
Galaxy Zack: A Galactic Easter! by Ray O’Ryan
Bunny Double, We’re in Trouble by Dan Gutman
Junie B. Jones: Dumb Bunny by Barbara Park

Calendar Mysteries: April Adventure by Ron Roy

February 18, 2016

My #nf10for10 - My Favorite Nonfiction Picture Books from 2015


I joined the 10 for 10 picture book fun last August, so I’m back to give the 10 for 10 nonfiction books a try.  Many thanks to the wonderful hosts: Cathy Mere (Reflect and Refine), Mandy Robeck (Enjoy and Embrace Learning), and Julie Balen (Write at the Edge).  I’m excited to be joining the nonfiction fun!

I feel many exceptional children books where created last year.  I’d like to highlight my 10 favorite nonfiction picture books from 2015.


1.Water is Water: A Book About the Water Cycle by Miranda Paul
This literary nonfiction book depicts all the phases of the water cycle through poetic prose.  From rain to fog and mist to snow, the story is accompanied with beautiful water color illustrations.  This is wonderful book to teach cause and effect, prediction, and repetition.  


2.One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul
This literary nonfiction biography tells the true story of Isatou Ceesay.  Her home in Gambia became littered with plastic bags, so she began creating woven purses out of them.  Her innovative way of recycling cleaned up community, created jobs for local women, created revenue for families in need, and transformed her home.  This inspirational tale can be used to teach character traits, cause and effect, and main idea.


3.I (Don’t) Like Snakes by Nicola Davies
This literary nonfiction book is about a girl who dislikes snakes.  However, her family loves them and has them as pets.  One by one, the girl says something she hates about snakes while her family describes why snakes look and act they way that do.  Eventually the girl begins to dislike snakes less and less, and in the end loves them!  Each page is filled with realistic illustrations to accompany the family dialog and snake facts.  This book would be great to teach opinion, perspective, and point of view.  


4.A Rock Can Be . . . by Laura Purdie Salas
This literary nonfiction book highlights the beauty of rocks.  They can glow in the dark, grind food, spark fire, and provide shelters both big and small.  The lyrical rhyming text is illustrated with glowing illustrations.  The definitions in the back of the book provide more insight into the rocks on each page, providing fun facts to build knowledge.  


5.Glow: Animals with Their Own Nigh-Lights by W.H. Beck
This nonfiction book highlights (pun intended) stunning creatures that use bioluminescence to glow in the dark.  Used to hunt, hide, make friends, or escape an enemy, the glow of these creatures are fascinating.  Shown in a black background, each animal’s photograph is detailed and stunning. Some images are scary while others are captivating. The text is simple and poetic, with sidebar facts that provide more details. 


6.Tree of Wonder: The Many Marvelous Lives of a Rainforest Tree by Kate Messner
This literary nonfiction book tells the story of one Almendro tree in the rainforest.  It is the source of blooms, birds, insects, and animals.  Messner’s text is poetic in nature with further sidebar information providing more detailed facts.  As the numbers of creatures increase, the reader understands the impact one tree has on multiple lives.  


7.Growing Up Pedro: How the Martinez Brothers Made It from the Dominican Republic All the Way to the Major Leagues by Matt Tavares
This literary nonfiction biography tells the story of Pedro Martinez’s rise to greatness.  When Pedro was young, he played ball with his older brother Ramon in the Dominican Republic.  When his brother is drafted, Pedro hopes to follow in his footsteps.  As Pedro joins the major leagues as well, the love of these two brothers remains strong as their careers intertwine.  With beautiful illustrations, this true story can be used to teach character trails and theme.


8.Trapped: A Whale’s Rescue by Robert Burleigh
This literary nonfiction book tells the story of a humpback whale trapped in fishermen netting and the rescue to save her.  The touching tale is told through simple, but beautiful prose.  The illustrations are gorgeous paintings with realistic details.  This story is a wonderful way to teach children the important connection between people and animals.


9.Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson & Sean Qualls
This literary nonfiction biography is about Emmanuel, a young boy with a deformed leg in Ghana.  He never lets his disability hold him back; he hops two miles to school, learns to play soccer, and learns to ride a bike.  Eventually, he rides his bike 400 miles across Ghana to become a national hero and speed the message that a disability is not inability.  Told through lyrical words and bold illustrations, this story can be use to teach theme, main idea, and character traits.


10.Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle

This nonfiction poetry is about a young girl in Cuba who broke the traditional taboo against female drummers.  She showed that both girls and boys should be free to drum and dream.  Told through poetry, this true story is accompanied with vivid and colorful illustrations.  This book can teach children about theme and character traits.  

February 15, 2016

Books to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day


I did a previous blog encouraging themed browsing boxes at home.  I love playing librarian to my daughter and creating a collection of holiday books for her learn about, enjoy, and celebrate the season.  I recently put together a browsing box full of St. Patrick’s Day books.  Below is a list of books for you to create your own St. Patrick’s Day themed browsing box at home.  Happy reading and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Hooray for St. Patrick’s Day by Jan Holub
A Berry Lucky St. Patrick’s Day by Mickie Matheis
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Hello Kitty by Sanrio Company
Saint Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons
The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing
Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola
St. Patrick’s Day Alphabet by Beverly Vidrine
St. Patrick’s Day Countdown by Salina Yoon
That’s What Leprechaun’s Do by Eve Bunting
Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola
St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning by Eve Bunting
Green Shamrocks by Eve Bunting
Let’s Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by Peter Roop
St. Patrick’s Day by Molly Aloain
What is St. Patrick’s Day? by Elaine Landau
St. Patrick’s Day by Carmen Bredeson
Shannon and the World’s Tallest Leprechaun by Sean Callahan
The Luckiest St. Patrick’s Day Ever by Teddy Slater
St. Patrick’s Day by Jennifer Gillis
The St. Patrick’s Day Shillelagh by Janet Nolan
St. Patrick’s Day: Day of Irish Parade by June Preszler
O’Sullivan Stew by Hudson Talbot
Fun St. Patrick’s Day Crafts by Carol Gnojewski
Crafts for St. Patrick’s Day by Kathy Ross
The Last Snake in Ireland by Sheila MacGill-Calahan
Leprechauns Don’t Play Basketball by Debbie Dadey
March Mischief by Ron Roy
Georgia’s Greatness by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

February 6, 2016

The Challenge Continues . . . Buckeye Book Award Reading Challenge 2001


And the reading challenge continues!  As stated in a previous post, my librarian friend Ashley Lambacher of the Book Talker and I are hosting the Buckeye Book Award Reading Challenge.  Our goal is to read all the past winners from the children’s book category in chronological order from 1982 to the present.  I will read the K-2 picture book winners and Ashley will read the 4-8/3-5 chapter book winners.  Because 2000 was skipped, today I continue my challenge by reading the winner of the K-2 Buckeye Book Award in 2001, Bark, George by Jules Feiffer.

Bark, George is about a young pup learning to speak like a dog.  When his mother asks him to bark, he returns with a meow.  Then he quacks, oinks, and moos.  Georg is taken to the doctor. Surprisingly, the vet reaches into him and pulls out a cat, duck, pig, and cow!  Once they leave the doctor’s office, George’s mother asks him to bark.  Instead of barking, George says, “hello.” The simple text and cartoonish drawings of Bark, George interest young readers.  Making for a good read aloud, children enjoy the unexpected humor of this story.  Still a popular book, this title is checked out often in my libraries today.  An understandable winner for a Buckeye Book Award.

Ashley, your upcoming 2001 book is The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey. Fifteen years laster, this series is still going strong.  A fitting win for a Buckeye Book Award.

Would you like to join Ashley and I as we read through Ohio’s award winning books?  We welcome any and all who are interested in participating in this fun reading challenge.  For more information, click here.