Check out these seasonable kid's books!

Miriam's Cup by Fran Manushkin

It's Passover at the Pinsky home.  And amidst the flurry of

preparation for the Seder, Mama stops everything to tell a very

important story to her children.  She recounts the story of Passover,

of how God helped Moses lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt to freedom.

But this time Mama includes another part of the story - the part about a 

prophet named Miriam, whose faith and spirit also helped the Jewish people to survive.

Celebrate Passover by Deborah Heiligman

The most celebrated holiday in the Jewish year, Passover commemorates the Exodus of Hebrew slaves from Egypt to freedom over 3,500 years ago. This colorful book explores the many forms that this weeklong celebration takes worldwide. Deborah Heiligman's rich text details the long lavish meals called seders, at which Exodus is recalled in ritual, prayer, song, and story. 

Easter by Jan Pienkowski

"In the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, many

went up to Jerusalem for the Passover.  And Jesus took the twelve disciples and came...

Thus begins the most important story in the Christian religion, illustrated here by Jan

Pienkowski with awesome beauty.

The Easter Story by Brian Wildsmith

With an enchantingly simple perspective, Wildsmith offers a splendid vision of the greatest story ever told.

Welcome Spring with these great Tell me why, Tell me how books for kids!

Why is the sky blue? by Wil Mara

The sky is everywhere, a blue ceiling spreading above us.

Why is the Sky Blue? trace light's long journey from the sun

to the earth and how the sky often ends up dressed in 

a bright shade of blue.

How do plants grow? by Melissa Stewart

In the spring, a tiny sprout breaks through the soil.

Sunlight and water help the seedling make the food it needs

to survive.  How do plants grow? takes you inside this green

world, from the tips of the roots to the bright flowers and shiny leaves.

How do caterpillars become butterflies? by Darice Bailer

Butterflies start their lives in a very different form

than the caterpillars they begin their live as.  How do caterpillars become butterflies?

shows how these amazing insects turn from crawling creatures to winged beauties.

How do tadpoles become frogs? by Darice Bailer

Frog babies do not look like the adult frogs that they will 

become one day.  How do tadpoles become frogs? shows readers

how these amazing frogs grow from tiny eggs to incredible four-legged amphibians.

New Books for Kids

Looking at Lincoln by Maira Kalman

Abraham Lincoln was an unforgettable man.  Look,

there he is on your five dollar bill and on your pennies.  And

when you see a tall hat,who but Abe Lincoln comes to mind?

And our country is still the UNITED States because he helped

hold it together.  But who was he REALLY?

First Girl Scout by Ginger Wadsworth

When Juliette Gordon was growing up in the late 1800's, she

climbed tees, swam in rivers, and hiked on tall cliffs.  With

her cousins and friends, she sewed costumes and put on plays,

sketched and painted, and reached out to help other kids who were less fortunate.

Juliette - or Daisy, as her friends and family called her - knew that most

girls her age weren't so lucky: they didn't have the opportunities to

play, create, and enjoy outdoor activities the way she did.  And when

Daisy became an adult, she set out to do something to change that.

Juliette (Daisy) Gordon Low made history by founding the first

national organization to bring girls from all backgrounds into the out-of-doors..

the Girl Scouts of the USA...

North: the amazing story of Arctic migration by  Nick Dowson

Come along on an extraordinary wildlife adventure!

Every spring, millions of animals, including gray whales,

white cranes, wolves, and caribou, set off from around the world on a long

journey north.  Follow them as they fly, swim, or walk hundreds-

even thousands-of miles to the Arctic, where they'll feed and breed all summer.

Celebrate Black History month with these books

Heart and Soul by Kadir Nelson

The story of America and African Americans is a story of hope

and inspiration and unwavering courage.  But it is also the story of injustice;

of a country divided by law, education, and wealth; of a 

people whose struggles and achievements helped define their country.

This is the story of the men, women, and children who toiled in the hot sun

picking cotton for their masters; it's about the America ripped in two by Jim

Crow laws; it's about the brothers and sisters of all colors who rallied

against those who would are bar a child from an education.  It's a story

of discrimination and broken promises, determination and triumphs.

To the Mountaintop
by Charlayne Hunter-Gault

When Barack Obama was inaugurated on January 20, 2009,

he toppled a racial barrier that many thought would never fall.  But he

didn't achieve his victory alone.  Thousands of men, women, and even children 

struggled before him to win the right to freedom, the vote, and equal protection

under the law.  Among them were two nineteen-year-old students who dared to fight

for their right to attend the all-white University of Georgia, Hamilton Holmes and Charlotte Hunter.

In this dramatic history of the civil rights movement, Charlayne Hunter-Gault looks back 

on her experiences and offers a unique perspective on the pivotal events that swept the South

as the movement gathered momentum through the early 1960's.

I Lay my Stitches Down by Cynthia Grady

From a cotton plantation in the deep South, to a 

Kentucky horse farm, to a small household in the North,

the varying settings and voices depicted in these poems

reflect the rich patchwork of experiences and circumstances

of African Americans affected by slavery.

Underground by Shane W. Evans

A family silently crawls along the ground. They run

barefoot through unlit woods, sleep beneath bushes, take shelter

in a kind stranger's home.  Where are they heading?

They are heading for freedom.

Cuddle up with your little one with poetry!

A Family of Poems compiled by Caroline Kennedy

When Caroline Kennedy published the Best Loved Poems

of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 2001, the book became a

national best seller. 

That grassroots response inspire Caroline Kennedy to create an

anthology for families, drawing from the poems her own family cherished.

Her work in the New York City public schools has made Caroline

Kennedy keenly aware of how great a role poetry can play in

the minds and hearts of young people.  A Family of Poems offers

children and families a single beautiful volume that will spark a love

of language and verse that will last a lifetime.

A Little Bitty Man by Halfdan Rasmussen

Translated from the original works by beloved

Danish poet Halfdan Rasmussen, this delightful collection

of poems for young children will enthrall little ones with

captivating rhyme, rhythm, humor, and charm, while Kevin

Hawkes's enchanting, light-filled illustrations bring the

text to vibrant visual life, making this an essential addition

to any child's library of modern classics.

Winter Eyes by Douglas Florian

What do you l ike about winter?  Is it the hot pancakes?

The snowball fights? Sledding? Skating? Icicles? And what do you not like about winter?

A runny nose? Frozen toes? Slush?

This collection of poems and paintings by

Douglas Florian welcomes winter and invites you to walk

through winter with your winter feet and listen to winter with your

winter ears and look at winter with your winter eyes.

The Hound Dog's Haiku by Michael J. Rosen

Simple, charming haiku by poet Michael J. Rosen portray twenty beloved dog breeds,

from the pug to the Dalmation to the golden retriever.  Complete with interesting

facts about each breed and illustrated with Mary

Azarian's striking woodcuts, this keepsake volume is sure

to set any dog lover's tail a - wagging.

These just in! Brand new fiction for kids.

Snow in Summer by Jane Yolen

With her black hair, red lips, and lily-white skin,

Summer is as beautiful as her father's garden.  And her life

in the mountains of West Virginia seems like a fairy tale;

her parents sing and dance with her, Cousin Nancy dotes on

her, and she is about to get a new baby brother.

But when the baby dies soon after he's born, taking Summer's

mama with him, Summer's fairy-tale life turns grim.  Things get

even worse when her father marries a woman who brings

poisons and a magical mirror into Summer's world.  Stepmama

puts up a pretty face, but Summer suspects she's up to no good.

Is Summer powerless to stop her?

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Joey is a war horse, but he wasn't always.

Once, long ago, he was a farm horse and a gentle

boy named Albert was his master. Then World War

I came along and changed everything.  Albert's father sells Joey

to the army where the beautiful, red-bay horse is trained

to charge the enemy, drag heavy artillery, and

carry wounded soldiers not much older than Albert of

of battlefields,  Among the clamoring of guns, and

plodding through the cold mud, Joey wonders if the war

will ever end.  And if it does, will he ever find Albert again?

Abe Lincoln at Last! by Mary Pope Osborne

Are you ready for a presidential adventure? Jack and

Annie are! They are trying to get a special feather that will

help save Merlin's baby penguin, Penny.  When the magic

tree house whisks them back to Washington, D.C., in 1861, Jack

can't wait to meet Abraham Lincoln himself!  But the new

president is too busy to see them, as he is desperately trying

to save a nation in crisis.

When Jack and Annie ask for some magical help, they go

back even further in time to a mysterious woods.  Are these the same

woods where Abraham Lincoln takes his daily horse ride? If

so, can an orphan named Sam help them find Abe? Or will

Jack and Annie have to help Sam instead?

It's a race against time as Jack and Annie try to do the right thing.

Plus, they still have to aid a president and a troubled nation, as well as

get the object that will save Penny the penguin!

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose 

May is helping out on a neighbor's homestead - just

until Christmas, her pa promises.  But when a terrible

turn of events leaves her all alone, she must try to

find food and fuel - and courage- to make it 

through the approaching winter.

This gorgeous novel in verse by Caroline Starr Rose

will transport you to the Kansas prairie - to the endless

grassland, and to the suffocating closeness of 

the sod house where May is stranded.

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.