ON THE ROAD TO MR. MINEO’S by Barbara O’Connor (Farrar Straus Giroux, 2012) Stella wants a dog and her parents won’t hear of it. So it’s not surprising that when a one-legged pigeon flaps and taps its way to Meadville, South Carolina landing on the tin roof of the shed Stella and her friend, Gerald,… Read more »
New & Noteworthy
Oh, Nuts!
OH, NUTS! by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Dan Krall Have you ever been to the zoo and seen the chipmunks running amok? Darting up trees? Whooshing through the grass? Zipping over branches and sidewalks? But do you ever stop and pay them any attention? No. You’re too busy snapping photos of the tigers and elephants… Read more »
Noah Webster and His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris
Noah Webster and His Words by Jeri Chase Ferris, illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch (Houghton Mifflin, 2012) Dictionaries. Kids store them in their desks, pull them out for homework, and access them on-line. But how many kids (even adults!) know the story behind our first All-American dictionary? They need look no further than Jeri Chase… Read more »
The Templeton Twins Have an Idea
THE TEMPLETON TWINS HAVE AN IDEA by Ellis Weiner, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes (Chronicle, 2012) The ReaderKidZ have been talking all month about “Families in Change” and there have been many terrific recommendations. Books about a child living in foster care, the difficulties of divorce, the loss of a family member to cancer, the reality… Read more »
Monster Stew by Stephanie Greene
Stephanie Greene has done it again. In Monster Stew, through the actions of her charming protagonist, Posey, the precarious space between excitement and fear is dramatized – a space that is very real to every tender child during the Halloween season. In the spirit of this scary season, beloved Miss Lee, the first grade teacher, has… Read more »
The Fantastic Jungles of Henri Rousseau
THE FANTASTIC JUNGLES OF HENRI ROUSSEAU by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Amanda Hall. “Henri Rousseau wants to be an artist. Not a single person has ever told him he is talented … But he buys some canvas, paint, and brushes, and starts painting anyway.” Can you imagine? A toll collector, with no formal training, Rousseau… Read more »
Look…Look Again
LOOK … LOOK AGAIN CARTOONS BY JOHN O’BRIEN Don’t poke your fingers in this book! But what are holes for? Poking! Okay, poke. The holes are real. But don’t laugh. What is this book for? Reading. Oh, okay, and laughing. And thinking. And poking fingers through holes. And thinking outside of the holes. Dear parent… Read more »
