The Woods by Paul Hoppe

Bed time brings a story, blanket, and bunny. Tonight though the bunny is missing. In order to find the missing bunny, the boy must enter the WOODS...where he encounters a BIG SCARY BROWN BEAR....TWO SCARY GIANTS.....and a TRIPLE HEADED DRAGON!! And that is all before even making it to the dark cave! Simple but funny book that will keep kids laughing as each "scary" creature is encountered!

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

A Good Knight's Rest by Shelley Moore Thomas

The Good Knight needs a vacation. (You would too if you had "saved three princesses from peril...helped two old gypsies across the moat...and helped one little cat get down from a tall tree.") The Knight packs up his wagon ready to head away for a few days of relaxation and goes to tell his dragon friends. HIs friends decide they want to go as well. Being a good knight, the Good Knight agrees to take his dragon friends on the trip but it is not long before the group has to stop. Just as the Good Knight gets comfortable, the dragons decide it is time to move on. As this continues to happen, the dragons realize how tired their friend really is and takes him to a truly relaxing. Kids will enjoy the silly dragons and parents will relate to the Good Knight's quest to get away from the castle without having to stop over and over :)

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Alphabeep: A Zipping, Zooming ABC by Debra Pearson

So this one is a little older (2003) but it was on the shelf next to the new books at one of the libraries I stopped at last night and I knew Adam would love it. He does! But what is there for a boy NOT to love....vehicles from A to Z! Each letter is shown as both upper and lower case, which I love, and has a vehicle of some sort to go with it. The sentence(s) that follow explain the "job" of that vehicle.
"Gg is for Garbage Truck that growls along the road. It's on the prowl for stinky trash to squish, crunch, gr-r-r-r-rind"
This is a great book for learning the letters as well as learning different vehicles on the road.

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:4 Buckeye leaves
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves - AWESOME!!! Some of my favorite of all time....upper and lower case letters, road signs, bright colors, etc

Love my bookworm.....

You can tell 1 of 2 things from this pic....
1. We need to clean up our reading area in Adam's room
2. We read alot of different books....hey, I get bored easily!

Leaves by David Ezra Stein

A bear cub is experiencing fall for the first time. When the leaves start falling, one at first then more and more. He is very confused. He tries to put them back on but that does not work. He decides to take the leaves and fill a hole with them which he later decides is a great place to spend the winter. When he wakes up he is quite happy to see new buds on the trees. A simple introduction to fall and hibernation for younger students to enjoy.


Text: 4 Buckeye leaves - simple text great for younger students
Illustrations: 3 Buckeye leaves

Brownie & Pearl Grab a Bite by Cynthia Rylant

Brownie and Pearl are back again and this time they are ready for a snack! The two friends decide to check out the fridge and find it is full of snacks: string cheese, apples, and saltines, which they bite into shapes and letters, and milk. Simple for younger readers with bright illustrations for students to enjoy.

There Was An Odd Princess Who Swallowed A Pea by Jennifer Ward

I should be doing sub plans BUT...



So predictable....Maybe a little BUT kids LOVE books like this (as do I) where they can enjoy a new adaptation on a popular oldie but goodie. This book also capitalizes on the very popular "princess" theme that many young girls are currently loving right now...trust me I am around elementary kids all day! This ODD princess starts off swallowing a pea and from there ends up eating a long list of other princess-related items such as: a slipper, crown, rose, wand, witch, etc. Kids will love this book, yes, even the boys :)

Text: 4 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye Leaves
*Jennifer Ward has also written other books including THERE WAS AN OLD MONKEY WHO SWALLOWED A FROG and THERE WAS A COYOTE WHO SWALLOWED A FLEA both of which are very popular in our library.

D.W. Says Please and Thank You by Marc Brown

Arthur dares his little sister D.W. to be perfect for one whole day. Being perfect also means, using lots of good manner, after looking perfect first of course. D.W. cleans her room, says good-bye, hello, excuse me, and does NOT use mean words, closes her mouth when chewing, not whining and complaining, etc. At the end of the day D. W. realizes that manners "give you magical powers and people treat you like a big kid!" Although this book came out in 2006, we often forget about the power of series books. Even kids that may THINK they have outgrown an old favorite, like Arthur, can learn alot when exposed to them as BIG kids!

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith

Grandpa Green's great grandson takes a trip through a garden, full of memories, created by Grandpa Green. As he travels through the garden, he is also collecting Grandpa Green's things he left behind: glasses, watering can, lunch box, gloves, etc.

"After high school his wish was to study horticulture, but he went to war instead. He met his future wife in a little cafe. When the war was over, they were married."

A book that truly needs to be read more than once and as one site argued: Is it a book for children or a book for adults to read to children? The text and illustrations have layers to them, layers that I doubt even having read twice I have seen them all. I would love to see how a class of elementary students would respond to this book. Having read last year's Caldecott book, A Sick Day for Amos McGee with students from 1st grade thru 5th, one major complaint was the lack of color. I wonder if they would notice the same thing in this book! Oh an one more thing...one article I was reading was discussing that this book might be under consideration for that BIG picture book award in January.....just saying!

Click here to see the youtube trailer for this book!

Back-to-School Rules

The host of Thanksgiving Rules is back and Percy Isaac Gifford is preparing for an important day. A VERY important day....the first day of school! In rhyme Percy lists all the important rules for a successful school experience.

"The first rule you should follow:
Do NOT show up late!
You will be marked tardy.
Teachers do not like to wait."

Of course Percy also includes the important Rule #8: Do not do unto others! Great beginning of the year book (ok, a little late yes) and great book to discuss rules. Kids will love the fun text and silly illustrations. Great fun! Definitely a purchase for my two libraries!

Text: 4 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves

How Did That Get In My Lunchbox? The Story of Food by Chris Butterworth

A child sits down for lunch, opens the lunch box and....TA DA! How did all that food get in there? Here are the answers. From the bread and cheese that makes up the sandwich the the chocolate chip cookie, Each pages takes the reader through the steps from planting to packaging of each item as well as a food
"Last spring, your carrots were growing in a field on a vegetable farm. You wouldn't have seen any carrots then, just long rows of feathery leaves."

Very informative, for both adults and children, with great detailed illustrations. A great addition to a classroom studying nutrition or business/assembly line/business.

Text: 5 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye Leaves
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves

Help! A Story of Friendship by Holly Keller

One morning hedgehog finds mouse hiding. When hedgehog asks mouse, mouse explains that skunk told him that snakes are very dangerous to mice. Hedgehog tries to explain to mouse that their friend Snake would never hurt him. Mouse is still a little preoccupied thinking about Snake based on what he was told by skunk, and falls into a hole. All the friends try to help him out of the hole but nothing seems to work. Then snake shows up and wants to help his friend escape. Hedgehog is afraid if snake does try to help, mouse will get scared. Snake very creatively comes up with a way to help mouse out, without telling mouse.
Great book to use to discuss gossiping and friendship.

Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves (Amazing textures throughout)
Text: 5 Buckeye leaves
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves

Don't Worry Douglas! by David Melling

Let me just say right off...I LOVE TIGER TALE BOOKS! The have some very cute books, that Adam and I LOVE! This is yet another gem from Tiger Tales.

Douglas' dad gives him a surprise, a wooly hat. With the hat, Douglas' dad also gives him a warning to,"Take care of it." Unfortunately it is not long before Douglas' new hat has turned into "one long string of spaghetti." Douglas asks his friends to help him but when nothing works he knows he must tell his dad the truth. A great book for discussing the importance of telling the truth. Douglas and his friends are very likable and kids will enjoy reading about the latest Douglas adventure.

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves

*For more Douglas adventure check out Hugless Douglas by Melling

Believe Me, Goldilocks Rocks! The Story of the Three Bears as Told by Baby Bear by Nancy Loewen

Did you ever feel like there was more to the story about Goldilocks? Did you ever wonder if maybe Goldilocks was truly innocent and wrongly accused? Well according to Sam, aka Baby Bear, Goldilocks, "Rocks!" Sam is out to set the record straight. Goldilocks was actually in the Bear house because she had been double-dared by, of course, Little Red Riding Hood. When Sam sees her through the windows jumping on the beds, he decides he has to join the fun. Unfortunately Mama and Papa Bear arrive home during the jumping party and Sam must come up with a plan, and quick. Great book to use to discuss perspective and point of view. Kids will enjoy this fun twist on a classic.

Text: 3 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye Leaves

Suryia & Roscoe: The True Story of an Unlikely Friendship by Bhagavan "Doc" Antle and Thea Feldman

Isn't it amazing how animals seem to be able to put aside their differences and get along with other animals yet humans sometimes struggle in this?

Suryia and Bubbles are looking for a way too cool off on a hot day when they come upon Roscoe, thin and in need of a bath, and a beautiful friendship has begun. Probably should mention that Suryia is an orangutan, Bubbles is an elephant, and Roscoe is a dog! Soon Suryia and Roscoe are inseparable. Based on the true story about two unlikely friends living in The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species in South Carolina. Students love true stories, especially true stories about animals doing unusual and amazing things.

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves - simple, easy to understand
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye Leaves - once you see these photos....you will agree. They CRACK me up!!! Go through the entire book without even reading the words....you will be laughing too!!

Website to visit with great videos and more information about these two friends!
http://www.suryiaandroscoe.com/

Coming in May 2012 (According to Barnes and Noble)

Pirate Boy by Eve Bunting

I am a day late...this would have been perfect for Talk Like A PIrate Day BUT.....

After finishing a book about a pirate, Danny asks his mom a series of questions which seems to test her on the extent of her love for him. From riding on the back of a dolphin to fighting sea monsters and a group of pirates, Danny's mother passes all his "tests" with flying colors...now for her next test, will she follow him to the moon? This books reminds me alot of the Runaway Bunny as the mother bunny was also being tested to what she would do to find her baby. The topic of pirates will appeal alot to kids right now, especially boys. (Thank you Disney and Jake and the Neverland Pirates - I can sing the song if you like...)

Text: 3 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 3 Buckeye Leaves

Dot by Patricia Intriago

When I first saw this book on the new book shelf at the public library, it reminded me of Press Here! (which I love). But once we brought it home to read I found it to be a different kind of DOT book! We have read this numerous times since Wednesday and each time I notice something a little different. As Lane Smith said in a review, "I’m guessing the graphics are what will initially attract folks to Dot. They are understated and perfect. But for me, the real revelation is the subtle and clever text." I read Dot again after seeing this quote and was struck by how very true Smith's words are. But I also think it is the pairing of the words AND the illustrations that make this book that much more. I struggle to select my favorite comparison in the book, maybe because each time I read it, I select a different one as my favorites: "This dot is yummy.."This dot tastes bad" is hitting me tonight!

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye Leaves

I'm Not Ready! by Jonathon Allen

It is the first day of preschool and Baby Owl is....."NOT READY!"

Mom Owl is trying to get Baby Owl to his first day of preschool but Baby Owl has to....pick up toys, brush his feathers, look for his backpack, and on and on. Each time Baby Owl says, "I'm not ready!" Finally Mom Owl convinces Baby Owl to go to school where he sees all his friends, Little Rabbit, Baby Badger, as well as others. Now Baby Owl can't wait to go be with his friends.

And of course at the end of the day when Dad Owl shows up to take him home, Baby Owl says......

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves (Baby Owl is super cute!!)
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves

Simms Taback's Farm Animals

Simms Taback's newest book is simple and interactive. With each fold out, another "clue" is given till the final fold out reveals the farm animal. Bright and colorful, young children will enjoy guessing the animal being described. We have had fun with this book at our house this week.

Text: 5 Buckeye leaves (age appropriate for preschoolers)
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Zig-Zag: Zoems for Zindergarten by Loris Lesynski

A collection of fun, short, somewhat silly poems. From the first poem "Kindergarten Rocks" to the "Kindergarten Raps" at the end, kids will love the active poems.

Big kids, little kids,
girls and boys,
books and paints,
and games and toys
-Kindergarten rocks!

BUT this collection is not all silly, nonsense poems. I love, and plan to use with my kindergarten classes, Sit On Your Bottom and Lap.

Text: 3-5 Buckeye leaves (some I love....others are just ok to me but kids may love....)
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves (I love the cover though! Super cute, colorful, fun!)
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves (lower case ABCs in front, upper case ABCs in back)

Bear's Loose Tooth by Karma Wilson

Bear has a problem. His tooth is loose! How will he eat? His friends decide to each try to get that tooth out. They pull and pry but nothing helps. But it is bear who is finally able to get that tooth out...and just in time for the NEXT loose tooth! Kids can relate to the excitement, sometimes frustrations, of teeth falling out. Written in the same rhythm and rhyme of the other Bear books by Wilson, fully illustrated, including fantastic end pages. Sure to be another favorite.

Birdie Books by Sujean Rim

I had not heard about these books until a parent donated one to one of my schools. Another perfect books for little girls!


In the first Birdie book, Birdie's Big-Girl Shoes, Birdie is wishing and hoping to get to wear her mother's fancy high heeled shoes. She loves the many different kinds of heeled shoes her mother has and imagines herself wearing the shoes. Finally after much begging her mother allows her to try her does on. It does not take long for Birdie to realize the heeled shoes are not nearly as fun as she thought they would be and actually hinder many of her daily "kid" activities. So Birdie decides on a new kind of footwear: her barefeet!



The newer Birdie book, Birdie's Big Girl Dress, Birdie is preparing for her birthday. She is very excited to dress up until she tries on her favorite party dress and realizes it is too small! Now what will she wear? Her mother takes her shopping but nothing seems to be the perfect dress for Birdie. Very disappointed, Birdie decides to try one last effort to find the perfect dress by going to the attic at home. In the attic she finds the perfect party dress by taking different things that belonged to her grandparents.

Both books are very cute for the little girl readers (though I read them twice to the 3 year old boy here before he decided they were "girl" books!). Very simple text, very simple pictures.

Everything I Need To Know Before I'm Five by Valorie Fisher

This book has it all! Colors - check. Shapes - check. Numbers - check. An overview of all the basic we work so hard on with our preschool age kids. A great book to keep in the car for the kids when stuck in traffic or waiting for a table or slow service at a restaurant. Reminds me of Denise Fleming's The Everything Book. Would make a great birthday gift for a 3 or 4 year old.


Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves (Bright and colorful though I would not have chosen some of the dolls used throughout the book.)

Five Little Monkeys Reading In Bed by Eileen Christelow

Those ornery 5 little monkeys are back....and I love this one!! As you can probably guess, the 5 little monkeys do NOT want to go to bed but would prefer to read books! Sad books, happy books, scary books, they do not care as they try to read books despite Mama's pleading. Each time Mama leaves, the little monkeys sneak a book that they just have to read. Soon the giggling, sobs, wailing, etc wakes Mama and she is in their room.

"What's all this racket? This chaos? This din?"

Mama is not happy.

"I've had it! That's it! DId you hear what I said?.....Lights out! Sweet dreams! No more reading in bed!"

As always, the kids will love the silliness of the monkeys!

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves (Love the expressions on the monkey's faces!)
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves

Trick or Treat, Marley! by John Grogan

Marley is back and up to his old tricks! A dog with triple the energy of your average dog is ready to help with carving the pumpkins and decorating in preparation for the family's Halloween party! But as always, Marley's "help" turns into anything BUT help as he ends up with a jack-o-lantern on his head, cobweb decoration on his tail and popped balloons everywhere! How will the party end when a surprise GOHSTLY guest shows up! As always, Grogan brings more Marley-fun in his latest tale of this energetic dog!

Text: 4 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye Leaves
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves - LOVE them! (So does the 3 year old at our house that kept pointing out the different faces!

Happy School Year! by Susan Milord

"All over town, children are waking up. Some open their eyes with the morning light, while others turn off noisy alarms."

First day of school brings excitement, antipation, anxiety, as well as many other emotions. Children prepare for the day in similar ways and arrive at school. They are greeted in the enormous room where the teachers and staff are waiting to kick off a new "adventure". As the prinicpal welcomes parents and students, the large cupcake tree is visible and the prinicpal asks students to make one wish for the year. Together everyone sings "Happy School Year" before blowing out the candle. I love this "opening day celebration"! What a great school building activity and start to the year! Great book to start the year!

According to the information in the back of the book, there is more information at the First Day Foundation website. However I can not get to that website at this time.

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

I Will Not Read This Book by Cece Meng

"I have to sip water."
"...and wash behind my ears."
"...and clean under my bed"

Ever hear these before? The boy in the book I Will Not Read This Book uses every excuse not to read the book. Soon his excuses grow bigger and longer until he discovers a better option to his resistance.


Text: 4 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves