Ellen's Staff Picks

The Weird series published by Free Spirit Publishing focuses on bullying from three perspectives: the bullied child, the bystander, and the child who bullies.  In Dare, Jayla is bullied by Sam, until a new girl named Luisa becomes Sam's target.  Sam starts to dare Jayla to bully Luisa too, and Jayla is too scared to say no.  She's glad that Sam isn't bullying her anymore, but now she feels terrible that she is bullying Luisa too.  Jayla needs to find the courage within herself to do the right thing and stand up to Sam by treating Luisa the way she wants to be treated. 

This series really demonstrates the feelings that a child has when being bullied and when trying to keep from being bullied, and the conflicting emotions that occur when watching someone else be bullied and not knowing how to react.  The other books in the series are Weird and Tough.

Newbery award winning author Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book) has written a sweet tale about a little panda with quite a sneeze.  Chu (as in ah-choo) has one false alarm at the library (be sure to check out what's happening at the card catalog) and another at the diner.  At the circus, Chu can't hold his sneeze back, and the power his sneeze contains is demonstrated at full blast.  The end shows Chu's loving parents putting him to sleep just like any other young panda.  Publisher's Weekly gave this book a starred review.

If you like picture books by Neil Gaiman, try my personal favorite: The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish.

In 1775, the British Army had settled in Boston, and General Washington had no way of getting them to leave.  Bookstore owner Henry Knox had the idea to retrieve 59 cannons from Fort Ticonderoga...in the middle of the winter.  This involved traveling over ice, snow, mountains, woods, lakes, and once in a while there was a road to follow.  After fifty days of traveling from Fort Ticonderoga, Henry arrived in Boston with all 59 cannons. 

On March 17, 1776, the British awoke to see 59 cannons staring down on them and 9000 British soldier fled.  According to the book, they left behind an additional 250 cannons.  A bibliography is included at the back. 

This book received starred reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal.

This adorable Penguin Young Readers Level 2 Early Reader about a red balloon and a yellow kite who fall in love is delightful.  The simple, brightly colored illustrations will attract young readers, and the story will soften the hardest of hearts.  The ending makes this librarian hope for some kind of sequel, either with kite and balloon again, or with another set of similar objects falling in love. 

In this Level 1 Penguin Young Readers book, Clara and Clem start out with blocks.  Through one word statements and short rhymes (Bird! Fly! To the Sky!), the two go on a grand adventure using their big imaginations.  Picture clues help the reader with unfamiliar vocabulary.  Look for the next book, Clara and Clem in Outer Space in September, 2013.  Strongly recommended for the very earliest reader.

In this title published by Magination Press (an imprint of the American Psychological Association), Jetty is new to 4^th grade and discovering that 4^th grade is not at all what she was expecting. The book is in a diary format, as Jetty’s 4^th grade teacher expects her to keep a diary. She has too much homework, is easily distracted, and is very quick to anger and to becoming upset. Jetty’s parent take her to a doctor where she is diagnosed with ADHD. At first, Jetty denies the diagnosis. She couldn’t possibly have ADHD. She doesn’t run around all the time or get in fights, but then recognizes other symptoms in herself. Jetty is a realistic character and readers will like reading about her journey. There are four pages of notes for parents and children with ADHD at the back of the book.

For more books about ADHD, go to this link.

Around the Neighborhood: a Counting Lullaby is an adaptation of "Over in the Meadow", the classic folk song that was first written down in 1870.  A mother and her baby baby set off for a walk around the neighborhood, and see numerous animals that a child might normally see in their neighborhood, such as cats, crows, bees, or ladybugs.  The illustrations were produced digitally, and are easy to recognize, with bright colors galore.

My only concern about the book is that the words don't always fit the traditional melody very easily.  If you're planning to share this book in storytime, or sing it to a group, be sure to practice ahead of time so as to make the words fit the music, which is included at the back of the book for anyone who doesn't know the song.

Don't forget to also check out my favorite version of the original by Ezra Jack Keats, Over in the Meadow, or the stunning video based upon the book by John Langstaff. 

The cover to Mousterpiece announces that this is "a mouse-sized guide to modern art".  The book stars Janson, a mouse who lives in a museum and loved to explore.  When she finds the wing of Modern Art, she begins to practice drawing self-portraits in the styles of the artists she sees on the walls.  Rousseau, Picasso, Seurat, even Jackson Pollack and Andy Warhol inspire Janson to paint more.  When the Modern wing closes for renovation, Janson begins to leave her work behind for others to find, and it turns into an exhibition for her work.  At the end, Janson discovers her own style, "unlike anyone else's", with a beautiful mousterpiece at the end.  Notes at the end of the book introduce the artists that Janson has referenced.

This book received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist, and is highly recommended for children in preschool through 3rd grade. 

Little White Duck: a Childhood in China is a superb memoir of the 1970s youth of Na Liu as she grew up in China, and is illustrated by Liu’s husband, Andres Vera Martinez.  An example of the great stories told in the book is the first chapter, where Da Qin (Liu’s nickname as a child) is four years old and learns that the grandfather she hardly knows has passed away.  This grandfather was Chairman Mao, and Da Qin doesn’t understand why she is upset, but cries uncontrollably anyway.  The illustrations are simply exquisite and capture the emotions of the stories well.  This book received multiple starred reviews, and was one of School Library Journal's best books of 2012.  Highly recommended for students in grades 4 and up, as well as for teens and adults. 

This superb factual tale of John Price is fascinating.  John Price escaped from slavery in January 1856.  After crossing the frozen Ohio River, he was in Ohio, was slavery was not allowed.  He wasn't completely safe though, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 allowed slave owners to capture their runaway slaves anywhere in the United States, even in states where slavery was against the law, like Ohio.  Canada was Price's destination; slavery was completely outlawed there.  Price stopped for the winter in Oberlin, Ohio.

According to the book, "Oberlin College professors and the town's ministers claimed there was a 'higher law' than the Fugitive Slave Act.  This was the law of right and wrong, by which everyone deserved to be free."  John Price decided to settle in Oberlin.

When slave hunter Anderson Jennings, who had been hired to find Price, located him in Oberlin, Jennings forced Price to go with him.  A man walking by heard Price shout out, and ran to get help from the people of Oberlin, who came out en masse to save John Price from Jennings.  A group of men who would come to be known as "the Rescuers" took Price back and hid him until he vanished.  Thirty seven of the Rescuers were charged with defying the Fugitive Slave Law, were found guilty, and stayed in jail for three months.  After the Civil War was fought between 1861 and 1865, slavery was ended in the United States. 

The illustrations do a wonderful job of describing the text through art.  A photograph of the Rescuers is found at the back of the book.

Recommended for students in 3rd through 6th grade.

This book published by Free Spirit in 2012, but new to the Appleton Public Library, introduces Zach, a young boy who finds himself angry with his younger brother, and pushing him down.  His mother gently encourages Zach to apologize, and teaches him a four-square tool to help him figure out what to say.  In the first square, Zach thinks about what he did that hurt his brother.  Second, he thinks about how his brother thought.   Third, he thought about what he could do in the future, and fourth, he decided how he could make it up to his brother.  A note to parents at the end gives tips on how to model apologies, and guide children through their own apologies.

A second book, Zach Gets Frustrated, was published simultaneously, and teaches the frustration triangle method for helping children cope. 

These books are for parents and caregivers to share with children who are struggling with their emotions, and are recommended for Kindergarten and older.

This bilingual poem by the late author of the famous Brown Bear, Brown Bear series, Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson tells some of the very descriptive reasons our Earth is so beautiful.  Dan Lipow's photographs are lush and bright with color.  The children featured in the pictures are from multiple cultures, although the photos do not identify them.  This book was recently successfully shared in a Spanish/English bilingual storytime.  For all ages.

This early reader is about a boy named Buzz and his pet fly named Fly Guy.   When Buzz’s family goes on vacation, they find a nice restaurant to eat in, but Fly Guy isn’t welcome and starts looking for food outside.  Fly Guy eventually finds himself inside and causes quite a ruckus in the restaurant.  The surprise ending will make beginner readers laugh.  An amusing addition to the popular series, which started with “Hi Fly Guy”.  Recommended for children just learning how to read in grades K-1.

"HEY! I'm a chicken. Yes, it's true. Tell me!  Tell me!  What are you?"

And so begins Are you a Cow? by Sandra Boynton, a fun call and response board book for the very youngest toddlers to enjoy.  Children will love answering the silly questions posed by the silly chicken with one of their favorite words (no).  And the book ends with the best message of all, that you are you.  This book deservedly received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, and receives high praise from this librarian.  For ages 1-3.   

In this charming board book version of the 2009 picture book publication we meet "the watchful owl".  Na's book subtly teaches about sleep practices of animals, and the wide-eyed owl watches all of the animals, until day breaks and everyone wakes up, except for "the tired owl".  The picture book version of A Book of Sleep received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, and Booklist.  Na's newest book, Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit: a Book of Changing Seasons is just as charming with similarly beautiful illustrations

In the Perspectives Flip Book series, readers look at critical times in history and in essence read two books, each looking at the time period from a variety of perspectives.  In this book, we start with the allies perspective, and when we flip the book we get the axis perspective.  The series currently includes a book about the American Revolution, the Civil War and about Westward Expansion.

This Ready to Read Level One early reader tells the story of Teddy Rex, a new student at Dino School.  Teddy has a very loud roar, and has to be reminded to use his indoor roar.  He learns that at recess though, he can roar as loudly as he would like.  This early reader is great for teaching students the difference between an inside and outside voice, and is recommended for pre-K through 1^st grade.

In this fun Level 1 Starting to Read reader published by Stone Arch (Guided Reading Level E), Fire Truck and Tractor are getting ready for the big parade with the help of their friends Train and School Bus. They get clean and decorated, but they are missing something.  What could it be?  There are several early readers about these characters, which are just right for the child who is getting ready to read, plus loves transportation vehicles. 

"How do you like to go up in a swing, up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing ever a child can do!"

This is the first phrase from Robert Louis Stevenson's classic poem, The Swing.  I'll admit, this was my favorite poem in my childhood, and I read it over and over again, and it was from the first collection of poetry that I chose to read for enjoyment.  This board book version introduces the poem to the very youngest reader, and will most likely be nostalgic for their parents. If you like The Swing then read A Child's Garden of Verses, the original collection.  Another of my personal favorites is My Shadow. Stevenson may be best known for Treasure Island, but his poetry is my favorite of his writings.  

This charming book is based on the folk song “The Green Grass Grew All Around”, a cumulative song that grows longer and longer with multiple verses.  The book starts with a hole in the ground which grows a tree, which has a branch, and so on, with “the green grass grew all around, all around, and the green grass grew all around” ending every verse.  Isadora uses rebuses to allow children to help read the story, similar to “The Jacket I Wear in the Snow”, by Shirley Neitzel.  The beautiful and creative illustrations were created using oil paints, printed paper, and palette paper.  At the end of the book is the music for anyone who is not familiar with the song.  Highly recommended for preschool through 2^nd grade.

"Mission Unstoppable" is the exciting first book in the Genius Files series by Dan Gutman.  Coke and Pepsi are twins who are being chased across the country by people who want to kill them!  In the first chapter alone, the twins are jumping off a cliff to save their lives...you want to know more, don't you? 

This fun series is recommended for grades 5 and up.

This early chapter book is an abridged version of the 1964 collection, “The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales” written by Joyce Cooper Arkhurst and illustrated by Caldecott and Coretta Scott King award winning illustrator Jerry Pinkney.  It’s part of the level 4 Passport to Reading series.  According to the introduction, people in West Africa love to listen to stories and Spider is a favorite character.  This book tells three stories about Spider—why Spider is bald, why Spider has a thin waist, and why Spider lives in ceilings.  Recommended for children in 1^st grade and up who are ready for short chapter books, and this would make a good read-aloud for younger children.

Middle school student and troublemaker Donovan Curtis is well known for his pranks around school.  Due to a big mistake and miscommunication, Donovan is transferred from his "normal" middle school to the "Academy for Scholastic Distinction" for highly gifted students.  Multiple characters, including adults, take turns telling the story, and it becomes clear than Donovan doesn't belong at ASD due to his ungifted status, but could it be that the students at ASD need Donovan, as he slowly leads them to normalcy? In this entertaining yet thought-provoking novel, Gordon Korman asks us to evaluate what it means to be normal, and Donovan Curtis does just that.

For grades 5-8

Roger, a long sausage dog, is looking for more meaning from life.  When life hands him potatoes, he creates a French fry stand, and his French fries become famous around the world.  But Roger worries that people only love him for his fries, and he looks for even more from his life.  When Roger meets Charlotte the Corn Cob Queen, a whole new adventure begins.  The illustrations are charming, and this book has been a hit with every school age group I've read it with.  A recipe is included at the back of the book.

Adults who love Alexander McCall Smith's Number 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series will be thrilled to introduce their children to Botswana's Precious Ramotswe. When items start to disappear from students' lunches, Precious is on the case, even defending the boy who everyone at first assumes to be the culprit. Unfamiliar words are defined and pronunciation guides are given. Illustrations only add to the charm of the story.

Oluwalase Babatunde Benson is the Number One car spotter in his tiny African village, hence his nickname, No. 1. (In his free time, No. 1 and his grandfather like to identify cars by their sounds before they drive past). While he knows that things like skyscrapers, tap water, and electricity exists, in his village they can only dream of such luxuries. When the village's market cart breaks down, No. 1 comes up with a plan that saves the village and allows them to get to the market to sell their goods, involving an old broken-down Toyota Camry. Author Atinuke has also written a wonderful series about another African girl named Anna Hibiscus. These two series teach young children about modern Africa.

Recommended for grades 2 through 5, younger for reading aloud.

Mac Barnett, author of the Brixton Brothers chapter book series, offers up an unusual look into how a book is written and illustrated. He writes about a girl named Chloe who is wandering through the forest. When illustrator Adam Rex decides to draw a dragon instead of the lion Mac has written about, Mac calls him out and fires him. He hires a new illustrator, Hank, who draws a lion which promptly eats Adam. Hank does not live up to the expectations Mac has for his book, and he starts to miss Adam. He fires Hank and decides to do the illustrations himself, but find that his talent is not in the art of drawing, but in writing. Chloe goes through the forest looking for someone to free Adam from the inside of the lion, and runs into several literary characters along the way, none of which are able to help. Ultimately Chloe comes up with a wonderful plan to free Adam, who can finish illustrating the story. This book is reminiscent of "Do Not Open This Book" by Michaela Muntean, which is also about an author trying to write a book while being constantly interrupted.

This fractured version of "The Princess and the Pea" stars Prince Henrik, who is ready to get married. He wants a girl who likes hockey and camping, plus has a nice smile. He asks his brother, Prince Hans, for advice, and observes his sister-in-law Princess Eva, a sensitive (read: whiny) princess. Henrik decides he wants the very opposite of Princess Eva, and performs the opposite of the typical princess test by putting a full bag of frozen peas under a thin mattress. Many girls do not pass the test, until Henrik discovers how wonderful an old friend is -- instead of complaining about the peas, she found a clever use for them. This book is recommended for all would-be princesses. If you haven't already, read the original story first in order to guarantee that you and/or your child will understand why the story is funny. (My personal favorite version of the original is the title illustrated by Rachel Isadora).

This beginning reader is a continuation of the Stinky Face picture book series. The main character, Stinky Face, asks “what if” questions to his mother about going to Kindergarten. The questions get sillier and sillier as the book progresses, including a question about a hungry armadillo and art class. The mother answers each question Stinky Face asks, and Stinky Face realizes that Kindergarten will be just fine. 
This book is recommended for students who will soon enter Kindergarten and for Kindergarten students.

Dan Gutman (author of "Babe and Me" and "Return of the Homework Machine") offers a humorous look at the lives of elementary age students in The Talent Show. After a tornado rips through the small town of Cape Bluff, Kansas, the residents need a way to raise money to rebuild their town and raise morale. The town decides to put on a talent show, with students from the elementary school providing the talent. Everyone wants to get in on the action, talent or no talent! Will the talent show raise the much needed funds for the town?  This book is recommended for 4th grade students and up.

This installment in the Bad Kitty series which began as a picture book series and then morphed into chapter books, is a look at Bad Kitty’s birthday party. We meet many different breeds of cats all coming to the party bearing gifts, none of which make Bad Kitty happy. Interspersed with scientific facts about cats, this heavily illustrated book is laugh out loud funny, and is recommended for 3rd grade and up.

This book by Newbery winning author Lois Lowry features Princess Patricia Priscilla, who will soon turn sixteen and choose a suitor to marry. The Princess is bored with her life and disguises herself as Pat, a poor peasant girl. Pat discovers a love for school and is disappointed that she will not be able to continue. This book is filled with alliteration, rhymes, and wordplay.

This series, Ballpark Mysteries, is for both baseball fans and mystery fans. In Fenway Foul-Up, a lucky bat is stolen, and Mike and Kate are on the case. Lots of baseball trivia for those who enjoy baseball. A second book in the series was released simultaneously.
For students in 2nd to 4th grade.

The picture books series about Pinkalicious is available as part of the “I Can Read” series. This Level 1 reader tells about Pinkalicious’ time at school. While Pinkalicious enjoys school, she thinks she would enjoy it more if Goldilicious, her unicorn, came to school with her. What will happen when Goldilicious visits the classroom? 
Kindergarten and 1st grade students will enjoy read about Pinkalicious and Goldilicious.

This interactive history adventure is part of Capstone Press’ You Choose series.  You the readers choose whether to experience a Viking raid, serve in a Viking army, or fight the last battles of the Vikings, with 24 possible endings.  This book is packed with adventure and the unknown.  Check out other You Choose books such as Life as a Knight, The Titanic, or The Golden Age of Pirates.
For students in 4^th to 6^th grade.

This humorous chapter book takes us in the life of 3rd grade student Sophie Simon. While Sophie is incredibly smart, she struggles with making friends. Sophie finds herself solving problems for her classmates that they have with their parents. The book includes “Sophie Simon’s Encyclopedia of Things She Can’t Believe You Don’t Know Already” and a recipe for Madagascar Ground Boa Taffy.
For students in 3rd thru 5th grade.

In the first novel of this series, amateur detectives Sophie, Margaret, and Rebecca (the Red Blazer Girls) band together to discover the location of the Ring of Rocamadour.  They meet Ms. Harriman, who delivers the challenge to the three—they must follow clues and solve puzzles to discern the secret of the Ring.  The puzzles are given to the reader to try to solve before reading ahead.
This new series is recommended for students in 5^th grade and up, and might be a fun novel to read with a group.

In the fifth book of their adventures, Annie discovers that birds are building a nest on her porch. Every day, Annie and Henry check on the nest to see who lives there. They discover a robin and five eggs residing in the nest! What will happen as Annie continues to check the nest? 
This sweet book is perfect for beginning readers who have graduated from the Puppy Mudge books by Rylant and aren’t yet ready for the Henry and Mudge series by the same author.

In A Very Babymouse Christmas, the latest in the graphic novel series by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm, Babymouse is absolutely obsessed with the idea of receiving a Whiz Bang from Santa Claus.  A few literary vignettes including The Night Before Christmas and A Christmas Carol are referenced with a few changes.  Will Babymouse receive her Whiz Bang for Christmas?  Will she learn any lessons in this installment of the series?  Will the series continue past this book?  All these questions are answered in A Very Babymouse Christmas.

Recommended for grades 1 to 4.

In The Princess Plot, a German bestseller, Jenna is recruited to play the role of Princess Malena of Scandia in a new movie. She becomes suspicious when she finds herself impersonating the princess at a public event. What has happened to the real princess? A subplot involving rebels looking for equal rights in Scandia adds to the excitement.
Recommended for 5th grade and up.

Stuart is getting ready to start the third grade and is very nervous. Will he make any friends? He decides he needs a cape to make things better and makes one by stapling together his dad's ties (not recommended!). Stuart has several grand adventures and by the end of the book is all ready to start school. This is by the same author as the Clementine series. Stuart is imaginative and uses his creativity wisely. This book has been re-released in 2010 as "The Amazing World of Stuart."
Recommended for 2nd-4th grade students.

5 year old Lotta becomes angry with her mother when assigned to wear a scratchy sweater. She cuts the sweater up and runs away to find a new home. Her next door neighbor lets her set up a little house in the backyard, and Lotta decides she will live there forever. Lotta ends up going home in the end, of course! I like this short chapter book by the author of Pippi Longstocking, because I think so many children can relate to Lotta's anger.

Recommended for 1st to 3rd grade students, younger for reading aloud.

Gooney Bird Greene loves to be the center of attention (just like most second graders) and only tells absolutely true stories. Gooney Bird is an excellent storyteller and tells a new story to her classroom every day. What's interesting is how Gooney Bird shows that words can mean different things than you might expect, for example, how Gooney Bird moved to her new home from China in a minivan.
A good book for second grade students who are ready for short chapter books.