There’s nothing quite like a laugh shared between a parent and her child, a teacher and his students, or a librarian and a class of eager listeners. This week’s Book Room features funny books that will have kids and adults laughing out loud. What’s more? Each of these books structure their stories in non-traditional ways…. Read more »
Book Room
Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Winners Announced!
It was an honor to serve with the other judges on the 2012 committee and a pleasure now to announce: WON TON–A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw, illustrated by Eugene Yelchin (Henry Holt,2011) has won the 2012 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award! Creatively structured and exquisitely conceived, WON TON is a book… Read more »
A CABINET OF EARTHS by Anne Nesbet
Twelve year-old Maya Davidson is spending the year in Paris for her scientist father’s work, along with her ill mother and her annoyingly charming, five year-old brother James. They’ve been invited by the strange Society of Philosophical Chemistry. Turns out the society is run by distant cousins who’ve been… waiting for Maya. Nesbet’s sure storytelling… Read more »
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Eleven year old Melody Brooks was born with Cerebral Palsy. Confined to a wheelchair and unable to walk, talk or feed herself, Melody longs to communicate and be just like a “normal” kid. Thousands – maybe millions – of words swirl inside her head. Trapped. With her fierce determination and encouraged by her family, Melody… Read more »
E-MERGENCY by Tom Lichtenheld
TOM REVEALS: The Story Behind the Story… E-mergency began when this video, created by Ezra Fields-Meyer, was sent to me by my friend and collaborator, Amy Krouse Rosenthal. In the video, one of the letters falls off the roof and has to go to the hospital. I immediately wondered what the repercussions of such a… Read more »
The Dragon of Cripple Creek
This is the year of the dragon, more specifically, the water dragon. To continue a fun romp with books that are squirming with a dragon or two, I suggest THE DRAGON OF CRIPPLE CREEK by Troy Howell (Amulet/Abrams 2011, for readers 8 – 12.) . This tall tale takes place in the wild west of… Read more »
Doodles and Colors
WHAT COLOUR IS YOUR WORLD? by Bob Gill Look at the world in a new way. What colors do you see? What color is your world? What colour is your world? To a gardener, the world is shades of greens. Ask a bricklayer and he’ll say, “My world is red.” And if you asked a… Read more »
