Friday, January 27, 2012

Seasonal fun picks for kids from Chinese New Year to Groundhog Day

Chinese New Year by Tricia Brown

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Wishing you good fortune and happiness.
It is the time of the Chinese New Year, a spring festival over
5,000 years old.  It lasts for days and boasts a little of everything,
combining elements associated with many other holidays: the gift
giving of Christmas and Hanukkah, the feasting and family gatherings
of Thanksgiving, the fireworks of the Fourth of July, the Dragon Parade
and Lion Dance reminiscent of Halloween, and above all, the joyous
Easter-like celebration of a new beginning.

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz & The Children's Museum Boston

Spectacular fireworks, silk lions dancing through the
streets, sumptuous family banquets - these are the hallmarks of
Chinese new Year.  Now, discover how to bring this splendid
celebration, ant others, into your own home.

Groundhog Day by Gail Gibbons

Every February 2, people all across America
wonder about the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil.  Will
he see his shadow on that day or won't he?  Will spring
come early or late? Here is information about Groundhog
Day and its origins, as well as facts about the animal
at the center of this delightful annual event.


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Check out these new kid's books!

The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson & John Paterson

Long ago, in the land of Dartmoor, a magic man created
an enchanted charm that granted its possessor incredible power-
at the cost of the wearer's own tenderness and compassion.  After
merciless Flint Heart causes much destruction, it is lost among
the reeds and rocks of the moor, where a kindly farmer discovers
it thousands of years later.  With the Flint Heart in his possession, the
once adoring father Billy Jago is transformed into a cruel and 
merciless brute.  Young Charles is determined to win back his father's
true nature, and with his sister Unity and a dog, Ship, he sets off into
an enchanted world where animals talk, fairies hold elaborate banquets, 
and magical mischief must be resolved to bring Dartmoor and
Merripit Farm back to rights again.
The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine

So Dad has shipped me off to relatives I don't
even know because he wants me to work on this
engineering project and become a genius, like him. Well,
guess what? I have math learning disabilities! Besides, what 
engineering project? Poppy (my great uncle) is frozen to his
chair and communicates only by throwing slippers.  And Moo
(his wife) feeds a cat clock and watches imaginary movies in 
her car, "Tyrone," which she's too blind to be driving anyway.
And then there's Gladys...she's this amazing, cool, super-gorgeous
punk rocker with stag fright..um..where was I?
Oh, right.  I know all Dad cares about is the engineering
project, but everyone in town is working on a much more important
project: adopting an orphan from Romania.  Now that's my kind
of project.  I've got to whip this town into shape and raise like
$40,000 in three weeks! Yup, that means getting Gladys to sing,
Poppy to move, and Moo to give up Tyrone.
Just don't tell Dad! I'll have to deal with him later.

The Bridge to Never Land by  Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Aiden and Sarah Cooper have no idea what 
they're getting into one afternoon when they discover a 
mysterious coded document in a secret compartment of an
antique English desk their father recently bought at an auction.
something about the document seems familiar to Sarah, and that night 
she realizes what it is: the document seems to be referring to some 
books she has read - the Starcatchers series, about the origin
of Peter Pan.  But how could that be?  The document seems far older
than the books.  And of course, the books are just stories...
Curious, Sarah and Aidan begin to decipher the mysterious document.
At first it's a game - unraveling the mystery piece by piece, each piece
leading them to a new, deeper puzzle.
But soon the game turns strange - and scary.  They discover that the
"stories" are real, and that what they thought was a fictional battle
between good and evil is still going on.  And the scariest part is: they
have become a part of it.
Pursued by a being that can take any form and will stop at nothing to
get what it wants from the, Aidan and Sarah embark on a desperate,
thrilling quest for help - a quest that leads them to some unforgettable
people in some unlikely places, including one that's not supposed to
exit at all.  At each step they must solve new puzzles and escape new
dangers, all the while knowing that if they fail, the evil they are
fleeing will be let loose on an unsuspecting world.

The Wizard of Dark Street by Shawn Tomas Odyssey

Oona Crate was born to be the Wizard's apprentice,
but she has another destiny in mind.
Despite possessing the rare gift of Natural Magic, Oona
wants to be a detective.  Eager for a case, she is determined
to prove that logic is as powerful as wizardry.  But when
someone attacks her uncle-the Wizard of Dark Street-Oona
is forced to delve into the world of magic.
Full of odd characters, evil henchmen, and a street
where nothing is normal, The Wizard of Dark Street
will have you guessing to the very end.


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Celebrate Martin Luther King day with these kid's biographies

My Brother Martin by Christine King Farris

Long before he became a world-famous dreamer, Martin Luther King Jr. was
a little boy who played jokes and practiced the piano and made
friends without considering race.  But growing up in the segregated South of
the 1930's forced a very young Martin to learn a bitter lesson-little white
children and little black children were not to play with one another.
Martin decided then and there that something had to be done.  And as a
seven-year-old, he embarked on a journey that would change
the course of American history.

A Nation's Hope: the story of boxing legend Joe Lewis  by Matt De La Pena


Once a boyhood dream, now a people's hope.
The weight of history hangs on Joe's shoulders.
On the eve of World War II, African American
boxer Joe Louis fought German Max Schmeling in a
bout that had more at stake than just the world heavyweight
title; for much of America their fight came to represent the
country's war with Germany.


Mandela by Floyd Cooper

Few figures have inspired as much respect or loyalty
as Nelson Mandela.  From his boyhood days in the South
African countryside, to his time as a leader of the African
National Congress, to his twenty-seven years in prison, Mandela
would come to rail against the system of apartheid - and would
eventually help abolish it, becoming the first black
president in South Africa's history.
His is a story of courage and persistence, a story of hope and belief.  
It is the story of how the son of a tribal chief rose to become one
of the most prominent political figures of our time.

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

Rosa Parks is one of the most famous figures in American
history.  On December 1, 1955, she got on a Montgomery, Alabama, city 
bus after work and refused to give up her seat to a white man, an act that
sparked a revolution.  Suddenly, Mrs. Parks became the center of one
of the most important events in the battle for civil rights.  This is
the story of that event, and of a woman whose quiet determination
changed our history.


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Baby it's cold outside! Books with ideas to keep kids busy when the temperature drops.

Cool Stamps by Pam Price

Kids love to collect stuff! This fun series, Cool 
Collections, introduces young readers to cool collections
in an easy-to-read format.  Each book contains facts about
collecting that will inspire the reader to start his or her own collection.

Kids Knitting by Melanie Falick

Think you're too young?  Think you're too old? Through
15 easy projects, from bouncy bean bags to a rolled-edge sweater,
author Melanie Falick teaches kids of all ages how to knit.  Using
straightforward language, step-by-step instructions, and candy-colored
illustrations, beginners learn the basics, including finger-knitting, casting on and
binding off, the knit, purl, and stockinette stitches, knitting in the round, and
shaping.  
Knitting occupies idle hands.  Knitting broadens attention spans. You can knit
when you sit or when you stand.  You can knit in a car or in a van.  Knitting's 
not hard-anyone can.  So cast on and bind off for adventures in kids knitting!

Bake it Up! by Rose Dunnington

Kids rule int he kitchen...when it comes to baking these delicious
recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and more.  Get
the lowdown on a few simple cooking basics and then take your
pick from treats like biscuits that pull apart into layers of yummy goodness;
brownies loaded with rich chocolate flavor; chicken fingers that are healthier
than the fast food kind because they're baked; and a pie filled with luscious
ice cream and topped with whipped cream and cherries.  Everyone will
want to try one of your delectable creations!

The Jumbo Book of Magic Tricks by Bob Longe

Hundreds of amazing, unbelievable tricks include all the 
secrets that a magician can pull out of a hat.  And what a variety!  Coins,
cards, mind reading, dice, and more: they're all here and with patter included.
Even perform fascinating examples of "hypnotism."  Most of the tricks
are impromptu, and those that aren't require very little preparation.
Best of all: every one of them is within your grasp.