It's not Christmas without A Charlie Brown Christmas special on t.v. Whenever the piano starts to play that cheery melody of "Linus and Lucy", it puts me right into the holiday spirit! This book is a exactly like the cartoon show, and as fans of the Peanuts gang, it gives us another way to incorporate Snoopy into our holiday season. Below is my favorite page. When Linus stands under the spotlight and recites his monologue telling what Christmas is all about, I might get a little teary-eyed every time.
holiday gift guide: classic novels for the pre-teen who loves her phone, her soccer team, and wears purple nail polish
I hopped into a magic time machine and went back to the sixth grade. Here is what sixth grade me would tell you to give the pre-teen in your life.
a mystery that respects a child's intelligence. age-appropriate enough for your kiddo, smart enough for you to steal from their bookshelf and read when they aren't looking.
emotionally powerful, transport the reader to another world.
the diary of a young girl during the middle ages. funny, relatable, and they will learn something about the historical time period too.
The baby-sitter's club series goes to the heart of growing up and figuring out who you are. a box set would be such a great gift!
this wasn't around when i was in the sixth grade, but if it had been, it would have been one of my favorites!
a chic board book for chic babies! learn shapes in the city of light.
As any parent of a toddler knows, the favorite books get read over and over and over again. Here is one that I wouldn't mind reading a million times, and it is educational too! It's a win-win. The Hello World series features board books in different cities around the world and teach different early education concepts like shapes and numbers. Here are some of the pages of the Paris edition that teach shapes in a tre chic way! Vive le shapes!
merry cajun christmas!
I can't help but hear Louis Armstrong sing about Christmas time in New Orleans. "Magnolia trees at night, sparkling bright. Fields of cotton look wintery white, when it's Christmas time in New Orleans." I grew up reading this Cajun version of the classic holiday story, but you don't have to be down in Cajun country to enjoy this book. Instead of a velvety red suit, Santa is decked out in a muskrat fur suit. Quite a look. He doesn't drive a sleigh but a small wooden skiff. Pulling that skiff are eight not-so-tiny alligators named wonderfully French names like Gaston and Suzette. Get a pot of red beans and rice bubbling on the stove and settle in for a Cajun story time!
a bad kitty christmas!
Oh, Bad Kitty, will she ever learn? She tears up neatly wrapped gifts from under the tree. She kicks Kris Kringles, dumps plum puddings in the trash can, and causes mayhem at every turn. When her family gets angry about her antics, she runs away. She is taken in by an elderly woman without a family who spends the holiday missing her loved ones and alone. This story takes a touching turn when Bad Kitty invites the old woman back home to spend a holiday with love and friendship.
holiday gift guide: for your elementary school kid who loves his friends, his skateboard, and can play super mario all night
Ever wonder what our favorite super heroes were like in grade school? This comic book series is so funny!
This has no words, but the pictures tell a magical tale! This story doesn't need words to captivate its readers.
Home is where the heart is, and this book displays homes from around the world, some real and some fantastical.
You can't deny the fact that kids LOVE this series! This would make any second grader ecstatic!
We shared this book earlier this year, and we still love it. One part sewing lesson, one part fashion lesson, and one part young women manifesto that promotes self-confidence and strength. I want every girl I know to have a copy of this for the positive image it promotes.
Illustrated maps from around the world. so amazing I am tempted to keep it for myself!
This book turns into a robot world domination manual halfway through the story! What more do you need to know?
pure imagination and whimsy! a beautifully told and illustrated story.
this year's caldecott winner and it deserves it!
Cute Vintage Little Golden Book: ABC for Christmas
Feast your eyes on this vintage cutie from Little Golden Books! Never has the alphabet looked so festive. Enjoy your day!
a treat for the wizard of oz fans! a picture book collection of movie stills and dialogue
I was OBSESSED with Dorothy Gail from Kansas when I was a little girl! I wore out my blue gingham dress, insisted on my hair in braids every day, and once took a blue ball point pen and drew "sparkles" all over every pair of shoes I owned (I'm sure my mother loved that last part.). This book is for people like me and all of the fans of the movie The Wizard of Oz. This book contains film stills and actual dialogue from the classic movie. I think this would be a great addition to an adult fan's collection of memorabilia. I think this would make a great selection for a toddler who watched the movie once and loved it. It spans the ages because the pictures are bright and the text is simple enough for the littles, and the photo quality is really nice for a collector's stash. Happy Monday!
classics that never get old: the nancy drew mystery series by carolyn keene
This year marks the 85th anniversary of Nancy Drew. In honor of everyone's favorite teenage detective, here are five fun facts about the classic mystery book series!
Fun Fact #1: Nancy Drew was almost named Stella Strong.
Fun Fact #2: Nancy has different names in different countries. In Sweden, she is Kitty Drew, and in Germany, her name is Susanne Langen.
Fun Fact #3: Author Carolyn Keene isn't a real person but a pen name used by the team of writers who wrote the books.
Fun Fact #4: In the books written between the years of 1930 and 1970, Nancy's cases never involved murder because it was seen as too shocking for young audiences.
Fun Fact #5: Since her first novel, Nancy has solved over 500 mysteries!
happy thanksgiving! more good seasonal reads
To wrap up our Thanksgiving story time picks, today we are sharing two more picture books that bring history, great pictures, fascinating text, and plenty of reasons to be thankful to the table - If You Sailed on The Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern and Anna DiVito and 1621: A New Look At Thanksgiving by National Geographic.
If You Sailed is part of a series of history picture books that if you aren't familiar with yet, go check them out! Other titles include If You Lived in Colonial Times, If You Grew Up with George Washington, and If You Traveled West in a Covered Wagon. What makes this series valuable is the way they place the young reader in the shoes of children who lived throughout history. In this selection from the series, we see not only the specifics of the Mayflower ship and who exactly sailed to the new world, but we also learn fascinating details about the lives of the Pilgrim children. For example, two troublemaker brothers named the Billington boys were constantly getting into trouble throughout the Mayflower voyage, and one of their pranks almost burned down the whole ship! Another fun fact is that things like chairs, eating utensils, and bowls were precious in the first Pilgrim homes, so most kids ate their dinner standing up and eating food from one plate using their hands. (Don't kids do that now? Oh, it's just my lovely children? Okay, moving on) recommended ages: 6+
In 1621, the information is wonderfully detailed and informative, but the star of the show is the collection of photographs that are so historically accurate that they make the reader feel like the photographer had a time machine! The faces of the Pilgrims and Indians are sincere and work to remind us that these were real events and real people. Below I have included a recipe from the book for a Native American dish that may have been served on that first Thanksgiving feast.
a thanksgiving feast with new england charm: cranberry thanksgiving by wende and harry devlin
Hi there! Thanksgiving is around the corner, and we are drumming up the best seasonal picks we can find. CONFESSION #1: I love a holiday, any holiday. I go all out with decorations, themed books, food, whatever I can. CONFESSION #2: The Starbucks around the corner is already playing Christmas carols, and the city has started hanging wreaths with red velvet bows on all of our light posts. While I love, love the Christmas season, and while I love decorating our house for the holiday, let's hold our horses and revel in the season that is late fall and Thanksgiving. I refuse to put up icicle lights while the leaves on my front yard trees are still yellow and orange! While my beloved angel figurines and jingle bells cool their heels in storage containers for another month, let's find some good Thanksgiving reads! Today's pick is Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin.
This is the story of a young girl named Maggie who lives with her grandmother by a cranberry bog on the edge of a small and charming New England town. While Grandmother prepares a marvelous feast for Thanksgiving, Maggie does her chores. Both of them have chosen guests to invite to dinner. Grandmother chooses Mr. Horace, a well-groomed, well-mannered man with a fancy coat and styled hair. Maggie chooses her friend, Mr. Whiskers, a rough-around-the-edges sea captain. Grandmother gets upset with Maggie for inviting him because he smells like fish and talks loudly. By the end of the meal, Grandmother's opinion of Mr. Whiskers is changed, and readers learn not to judge a person based on how they look or how much money they have.
This book is part of a series. If you enjoy this one, check out the rest of the Cranberry series including stories for Halloween, Christmas, and Valentines Day. Each book comes with a recipe on the back that relates to the story. On the back cover of the Thanksgiving book is the recipe for Grandmother's cranberry bread. I have to be honest here. I do a lot of baking, so I consider myself pretty capable in the kitchen. I baked the cranberry bread recipe on the back, and well, it wasn't so great. I hate to say something negative about this book because I loved the story, but I also hate the wasted time and money of a recipe or craft idea that isn't worth it. If you want a great cranberry recipe, maybe skip the one provided by Cranberry and try something else. I always have great success with Nigella's recipe for white chocolate and cranberry cookies. They are delish! Here's a link to her recipe. http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/cranberry-and-white-chocolate-cookies-1723
the fantastic jungles of henri rousseau by michelle markel and amanda hall
"Henri Rousseau wants to be an artist. Not a single person has ever told him he is talented. He's a toll collector. He's forty years old. But he buys some canvas, paint, and brushes, and starts painting anyway."
Why did Rousseau paint? Why did Rousseau keep painting even when every art critic told him it looked like "he closed his eyes and painted with his feet"? Because he loved it. This beautifully illustrated book by Markel and Hall takes the reader through the life of the French artist known for his dreamy jungle scenes painted vividly on canvas. Throughout his adult life, he decided to follow his passion despite every person he knew advising him otherwise.
My favorite moment in the book is when Rousseau loads up his work on a cart and walks to an art exhibit to show his work for the first time ever. In the illustration, the art critics standing on the steps of the art museum are towering over him and his little cart. He bravely went into the exhibition hall anyway to show his work. The first show didn't go well, and neither did the second show or the third. This is a classic story of the little engine that could. Rousseau kept at it. Eventually, he caught the eye of an artist named Pablo Picasso, and he finally gets the recognition that he deserved. recommended age: 5+
WARNING! this book has the ability to turn into a dangerous robot! robosauce by adam rubin
If you loved the book Dragons Love Tacos as much as we did, you will love Adam Rubin's new book Robo-sauce. It's fun to dress up and pretend to be a robot, but what if you had the ability to actually turn yourself into a real one? For brave taste buds, this book holds a recipe for a sauce that can do just that. Once the family in the book samples the sauce, they are turned into robots on a path to world-destruction! This book also holds a secret - the book itself can turn into a robot too!
All of Rubin's books have such a fun and quirky sense of humor. The zany antics of his characters are just too funny! His bio says that he has an interest in improv comedy, and it shows. If you would like to check out more of his work, his other kids books include Dragons Love Tacos and Those Darn Squirrels. recommended age: 3+
The Illustrated Harry Potter! Check out the amazing pictures by Jim Kay
It's here! It's here! Just in time for the holiday buying season, the perfect gift for the Potter fan in your life has arrived. My copy came in the mail yesterday, and I couldn't wait to share this very special Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It is the same story of the boy who lived that we know and love enhanced with some pretty amazing artwork.
This one of Hermione has to be one of my favorites so far. What I love about the illustrations by Jim Kay is they pay tribute to the movies in subtle ways but Kay didn't just draw stills of the movie characters. He really has breathed new life into a world that we all feel like we know everything about. It's been a long time since the last book came to stores and the last movie came to theaters, so it's been a long time since Potter lovers have had new material to enjoy. I really feel like this illustrated edition isn't redundant in the Potter world but contributes something new and exciting for us Potter heads!
I just adore this sweet picture of Harry! Love love love!
come to our story time and get happy! happy by pharrell williams
Yes, it is true. The infectiously fun song by Pharrell Williams has been turned into an equally fun picture book. The lyrics that were stuck in your head all last summer are paired with wonderfully active photographs of kids having fun.
We started reading this together while sitting on the couch, and within a few pages, we were bouncing around and singing it instead. Honestly, I doubt Happy will win a Caldecott medal, but the pictures and rhythm of the lyrics together made our story time, well, happy! recommended for all ages.
a tea party with a special guest: tea rex by molly idle
Who wouldn't love to attend a fancy tea party with a toothy, gigantic carnivore? From Molly Idle, the author of Flora and the Flamingo, we have Tea Rex, the story of a young girl named Cordelia who loves big flowery hats, fancy tiny sandwiches, and perfectly sweet tea cakes.
The juxtaposition of a proper and prim little girl and her proper and prim tea table with a t-rex crashing about and roaring loudly makes for a funny story. This one would make a great holiday gift. Molly Idle's stories have such great humor and tenderness, and her illustrations are always just perfect! Age recommendation: 3-6
book of the day: the blue whale by jenni desmond
If you are doing your holiday shopping early, here is one that would make a great gift pick. My kids love to ask a million questions about any subject they can think of. The Blue Whale is a great book for the inquisitive. It will answer any questions kiddos have about these fascinating creatures. The beautiful pictures illustrate the ins and outs of whale anatomy and different whale species. This is less of a story as much as a collection of facts that teach young readers all about whales.
lewis carroll for littles! the jabberwocky board book by jennifer adams and alison oliver
Your memories of middle school English literature class either made you cheer or cringe at this post's title. (I have always been Team Literature over Team Math/Science. Give me a one million page paper to write any day over a math test.) We all remember reading Lewis Carroll's epic poem, The Jabberwocky, seventh or eighth grade, and it might seem like an odd choice for a board book. But once you flip through this little book, you will realize that the whimsical, nonsensical rhymes are just perfect for young readers.
The first time you read this to your toddler, they might look at you like you have gone a little crazy. This ain't no mouse music, as Chris Strachwitz might say. I have a feeling that once they catch on, this might be something your toddler will ask for a lot. The great and unusual sounds in the language coupled with the playful graphic illustrations are a fun combination not to mention the sturdy board book pages make this a rough and tumble throw it in your purse or car seat, take to church, to the restaurant, to the store kind of book.
a playful book by our country's children's poet laureate: the seven silly eaters by mary ann hoberman
We received this book as a gift many years ago and read its pages over and over again! This is one of those that kids instantly fall in love with. It has playful poetics, funny antics, and delightfully busy illustrations that engage readers of all ages. This is the story of the Peters family: Mr. Peters, Mrs. Peters, and their seven children. Unfortunately for Mrs. Peters, all seven of her darling children are very picky eaters. (I wish I couldn't relate.) Only, with these kiddos, there is a catch. None of the kids like to eat the same thing. Each child likes to eat something completely different - one child will only eat freshly baked bread, one only applesauce made from the apples in their front yard tree. Poor Mrs. Peters is left to scramble around the kitchen making seven individual breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. As the story goes on, Mrs. Peters gets pretty tired, to say the least. Her children decide to make her a special birthday meal, and their mom is pleasantly surprised.
The Seven Silly Eaters is written by children's poet laureate, Mary Ann Hoberman. The illustrations by Marla Freeze just crack me up, and I think any parent that has struggled to get their kids to eat their dinner will get a laugh too. Mrs. Peter's facial expressions are just so easy to relate to! I love when picture books are written in poetry lines and rhymes. Rhyming lines not only engage younger readers but also have shown in studies to aid in early literacy ability.
book of the day: skeleton hiccups by margery cuyler and s.d. schindler
We're getting into the home stretch of the Halloween season. Only ten days to go! Hope you have your pumpkins carved and your pillow cases ready to collect all of that candy loot. My nine year old is infamous for waiting until the last minute to decide what he wants his costume to be. He still hasn't told me what he wants, and I know I am going to be left scrambling!
Today's pick for good Halloween reads will get the giggle train rolling for your preschool readers and maybe your older readers too. Skeleton Hiccups has knock-out illustrations by S.D. Schindler and quite a humorous story to go along with them. Mr. Skeleton gets the hiccups and goes through all of the wives tale ways to get rid of them - holding his nose (or lack of one) while drinking water, holding his breath, being surprised. It takes being scared by his friend Mr. Ghost to finally give those pesky hiccups the boot.