Tuesday, December 22, 2009

New books just in time for Christmas

Beginner Books:
Clifford's Valentines by Norman Bridwell
Clifford receives lots of Valentines. See what he does to give one to them!

The Mystery of the Kibble Crook adapted by Liz Mills
Clifford and his friends have to find out WHO ate Cleo's new dog food.

Picture Books:
The Banshee by Eve Bunting
Banshee: the ghost figure of a woman who wails or "keens" outside a house where there may be a death; an Irish superstition. Is the banshee at Terry's house or is it something else making that noise?

Long Shot by Chris Paul
Everybody told Chris that he was too small to play basketball. But he ignored them all because he had big dreams.

Red Ted and the Lost Things by Michael Rosen
In this graphic novel Red Ted is left in the train station. He decides to take things into his own hands and find home with the help of his new friends. Will he make it?

Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep! by Maureen Wright
Big Bear can't hear very well. Instead of hearing Old Man Winter say "sleep" he thinks he hears him say "drive a jeep", "sweep", "leap", "dive deep", "climb a mountain steep". Old Man Winter finally changes what he says and the bear understands. What does that Old Man Winter say?

Chapter Books:
Eagle Song by Joseph Bruchac
After moving from a Mohawk reservation to Brooklyn, New York, fourth grader Danny Bigtree encounters stereotypes about his Native American heritage.

Signal by Cynthia DeFelice
After moving with his father, Owen faces a lonely summer until he meets an abused girl who may be a space alien. Is she really?

Darby by Jonathon Scott Fuqua
In 1926, nine-year-old Darby stirs up trouble when she writes a story for the local paper promoting racial equality.

Over My Dead Body by Kate Klise
In this story told mostly through letters, busybody Dick Tater tries to ban Halloween and ghost stories. Will he accomplish his goal?

More Sideways Arithmetic From Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Can you figure out the craziness at Wayside School?

Star Wars, Anakin Skywalker by Todd Strasser

Star Wars, Queen Amidala by Jude Watson

Non-Fiction Books:
Listen to the Wind by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth
This is the story of Mr. Mortenson's first building project in Pakistan.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
In 1993 Mr. Mortenson tried to climb K2 to honor of his younger sister, but had to turn around because another climber got sick. He became lost in the mountains of Pakistan. He wandered into a small village where they took him in. He promised to return to build a school. He has now built more than sixty schools.

Llamas and Other Latin American Camels by Zella Williams
This book in Spanish and English discovers the world of camels.

There's No Place Like Space! by Tish Rabe
Dr. Seuss's Cat in the Hat introduces Sally and Dick to the planets, stars, and moons in our universe.

Never Smile at a Monkey by Steve Jenkins
In this book you will find out what you should never do if you encounter dangerous animals.

Marsupials by Nic Bishop
In this book (with excellent pictures) you will discover more about animals on the Austrailian continent.

Magic Tree House Fact Finder about Bats byKris Hirschmann
Come with Ms. Frizzle to find out all about bats.

Whaling Season by Peter Lourie
In this book (with great pictures) you will learn all about a year in the life of an arctic whale scientist.

Mysterious Mesages by Gary Blackwood
You will learn about the history of codes and ciphers in this book.

Friday, December 04, 2009





Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart - A journey through the fields, forests, ponds and wetlands to see how animals survive in the snowy winter months, and when the sun's rays grow stronger, join all the animals as they get ready for springtime.







The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade - In Victorian London, fourteen-year-old Modo, a shape-changing hunchback, becomes a secret agent for the Permanent Association, which strives to protect the world from the evil machinations of the Clockwork Guild.







Queste by Angie Sage - Nicki and Snorri are trapped in Time, and Septimus Heap goes on a quest to find the House of Foryx, a place where all Time meets.







Half-minute Horrors - An anthology of very short, scary stories by an assortment of authors and illustrators including Chris Raschka, Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, Jack Gantos, and Lane Smith.











Pemba Sherpa - by Olga Cossi - In a Sherpa village in the foothills of Nepal's Himalayas, seven-year-old Yang Ki wants to haul wood like her brother Pemba, so she'll grow strong enough to be a porter. She wants to learn her brother tells her that girls cannot be guides. Yang Ki, however, is very determined.




Dino-Soccer by Lisa Wheeler -
Plant-eating dinosaurs face meat-eating dinosaurs in a soccer match.




Heroes of the Environment - Harriet Rohmer-
This inspiring book presents the true stories of 12 people, most of them teenagers or younger adults, from across North America who have done great things for the environment. Heroes include a teenage girl who figured out how to remove an industrial pollutant from the Ohio River, a Mexican superstar wrestler who works to protect turtles and whales, and a teenage boy from Rhode Island who helped his community and his state develop effective e-waste recycling programs. Plenty of photographs and illustrations bring each compelling story vividly to life.



Killer Ants by Nicholas Nirgiotis -
Extraordinary facts abound in this mesmerizing picture book about the fearsome appearances, habitats, and hunting skills of killer ants.





I will be Especially Very Careful by Laura Child - Lola's friend Lotta has a special new coat, and Lola really wants to borrow it.








Mouse and Mole Fine Feathered Friends -
When spring arrives, Mole and Mouse find a unique way to bird watch.






Princess Hyacinth (the Surprising Tale of a Girl who Floated) by Florence Heide - Princess Hyacinth is bored and unhappy sitting in her palace every day because, unless she is weighed down by specially-made clothes, she will float away, but her days are made brighter when kite-flying Boy stops to say hello.

Saturday, November 14, 2009




Coin Collecting for Kids - This collector's book and coin album introduces the hobby of collecting coins.







Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs and Lullabies - Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, have hand-selected a wonderful mix of their most cherished poems, songs, and lullabies in this rich and diverse poetry collection.






Touchdown - This book is packed with facts about amazing touchdowns from the earliest days of football to the present and the players who made them happen.







The Story of Snow -This book about the science of snow features photos of snow crystals in their beautiful diversity and includes how snow crystals are formed into different shapes and snow-crystal-catching instructions in the back of the book.





In the Belly of an Ox -Richard and Cherry reasoned they might hide from birds in the belly of an ox. Concealed in the hollow animal, the brothers were able to photograph birds in their natural habitats. Their results were published in 1895, marking a new era in natural history.




Coins and Other Currency -Learn about the history and collecting of coins and currency along with a class of fifth-graders.













Lincoln Shot -Conceived as a one-year anniversary newspaper edition of Lincoln's assassination, this brilliant, beautiful, and bold biographical portrait of Abraham Lincoln mimics 19th-century newsprint, combining pen and ink drawings with archival photography, and period typography with articles surveying Lincoln's life.





I Drive a Tractor -Examines how tractors can be used for many different things from farming to hauling dirt.







Picture Book Biography by David Adler










The Way I Feel -Illustrations and rhyming text portray children experiencing a range of emotions, including frustration, shyness, jealousy, and pride.









Animal Dads-Illustrations and simple text describe how the males of different species help take care of their young.









Dinosaurs -
Simple text and illustrations present different kinds of dinosaurs.







Boats Afloat -Photographs and simple text describe all kinds of large and small boats and their functions.



Cracked Up Joke Book-
Why did the chicken cross the road? The chickens in Chicken Run know, and they'll tell readers why in this fun format filled with knee-slapping, wing-flapping jokes. This easy-to-read format contains a whole farm full of jokes -- from familiar favorites to new jokes developed to tie in directly with the characters and events in the film. Illustrated with black-and-white line drawings, its sure to keep young readers laughing until the cows come home.

The Big Fat Cow the Goes Kapow-In these ten easy-to-read stories there is a mixed-up cow that says "miaow," a mole called Noel who plays rock 'n' roll in a hole, and a boy named Mike who rides a bike with a very big spike!








Boomer's Big Day -Moving day proves confusing for Boomer, a golden retriever, until he at last explores his new home and finds his own favorite and familiar things.







Family Huddle -During a trip to visit both sets of grandparents in Mississippi, brothers Eli, Cooper, and Peyton, and their father, former NFL star Archie Manning, take advantage of every opportunity to play football, practice plays, or play sports trivia games.





Big Bear Hug - bear who loves to hug everything meets a human who is about to chop down a tree, and the bear must make a decision on how to save his forest.






Imogene's Last Stand - Enamored of history, young Imogene Tripp tries to save her town's historical society from being demolished in order to build a shoelace factory. Includes notes about historical figures quoted in the story.





Stagecoach Sal -When Sal drives a stagecoach alone for the first time to pick up and deliver mail, her mother is afraid she will meet local outlaw Poetic Pete, but Sal not only excels at roping, riding, and shooting, she is also an excellent singer.




The Nutty Nut Chase -When a shiny brown nut pops out of the ground, each animal wants it for him or herself, but the extraordinary nut turns out to be the source of a delicious treat for everyone.










Barbie and the Nutcracker -Barbie stars in the story of the popular ballet in which a little girl's love for the Nutcracker brings him to life.








Angelina in the Wings - Angelina is stunned and jealous when clumsy cousin Henry is given the part of a sunbeam in Madame Zizi's ballet, but her kindness in helping Henry perfect his part is rewarded when another sunbeam part needs to be filled for the big performance.






My Little Pony Series -

















L is for Loving -
An alphabet book presenting the range of emotions that we may feel, from angelic to zippy

Thursday, November 12, 2009






Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus-Collects the further stories of Christopher Robin and his imaginary animal friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, where the animals anticipate Christopher Robin's return, meet a new friend, and solve the mystery of missing bees.







The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum -
Abridged text-

After a cyclone transports her to the land of Oz, Dorothy must seek out the great Wizard in order to return to Kansas.






Calvin Coconut - The Zippy fix -
Calvin tries to earn money to buy Stella, the babysitter, a present for her sixteenth birthday because he feels guilty for taking advantage of her allergy to cats.








Al Capone Shines My Shoes -
Moose Flanagan, who lives on Alcatraz along with his family and the families of the other prison guards, is frightened when he discovers that noted gangster Al Capone, a prisoner there, wants a favor in return for the help that he secretly gave Moose.









Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff -When twelve-year-old Lidie leaves Brazil to join her father and brother on a horse ranch in New York, she has a hard time adjusting to her changed circumstances, as does a new horse that has come to the ranch.









The Composer is Dead -An inspector seeks to solve a murder mystery at the symphony by questioning each of the musical instruments.








Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls Moving Day -Nine-year-old Allie Finkle has rules for everything and is even writing her own rule book, but her world is turned upside-down when she learns that her family is moving across town, which will mean a new house, school, best friend, and plenty of new rules.






Pony Pals -
The Pony Pals find a wild, neglected pony in a field near a vacant house and work hard to tame it.







Pony Problem -: "Acorn bites Snow White. Snow White bites Acorn. Who started it? Why? And will the ponies ever get along again?" Snow White and Acorn are fighting, which causes a big blowout as Lulu and Anna defend their ponies. Pam uses her newly discovered gift for communing with the ponies to figure out why they all are upset.







Barbie and her friend Teresa go to a dude ranch for a behind-the-scenes look at a movie being filmed there and so Barbie can interview the film's star, Matt Carson. But when a champion racehorse disappears without a trace, can Barbie find the culprit?