"A Sick Day for Amos McGee" Wins Caldecott Award

"A Sick Day for Amos McGee," the gentle story of an elderly zookeeper and the animals who visit him at home when he's too unwell to work, received the Randolph Caldecott Medal for best children's picture book. "A Sick Day" was illustrated by Erin E. Stead and written by her husband Philip C. Stead.

Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee’s case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it’s time they returned the favor.

"Moon Over Manifest" Wins Newberry Medal

Clare Vanderpool's "Moon Over Manifest," a young girl's magical and mysterious adventures in a small town in 1936, won the John Newbery Medal for the "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children."

From the description on Clare’s site about the book:

Eleven-year-old Abilene Tucker, the only daughter of a drifter, and therefore a drifter in her own right, has just arrived in Manifest, Kansas during the Depression while her father works a railroad job back in Iowa.  Having heard her father, Gideon’s stories of the town in its 1918 hey-day, Abilene looks for the sign with big blue letters but finds the sign shot up so bad, all that was left read: “Manifest – A town with a past.”   She is disappointed to find that Manifest is just dingy and dried up like most other towns.  But her disappointment quickly turns to intrigue when she discovers a hidden cigar box that contains old letters, a collection of mementos, and mention of a spy known as The Rattler.
Abilene and her friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, embark on an honest to goodness spyhunt that ends up with someone leaving a note on their treehouse cautioning them to Leave Well Enough Alone.  But Abilene sets caution aside when she ventures down the mysterious Path to Perdition and ends up at Miss Sadie’s Divining Parlor.  Abilene isn’t sure if the Hungarian woman is really a diviner or just an old woman who tells stories of the past.  But through Miss Sadie’s stories, Abilene searches for the boy her father once was and the meaning of home.

2011-2012 Battle of the Books

What a great summer reading list, whether or not you actually decide to participate in OBOB (Oregon Battle of the Books).  But if you do decide to do it (and why wouldn't you?), summer is a great time to get a jump start on reading from the list of 16 books.  I really like the selections this year as they are a great combo of classics, award-winners, and just plain good-reads. Click here for more info on Battle of the Books

Mr. Popper's Penguins

by Richard and Florence Atwater

Looking for a great summer read?  Like to go see movies?  Think of reading this book as it is coming out as a new movie on June 17th.  It was originally published in 1937 (yes.....a long time ago) and was also a Newberry Honor winner, truly a classic.  It tells the story of a poor house painter named Mr. Popper and his family, who live in the small town of Stillwater in the 1930s. The Poppers unexpectedly come into possession of a penguin, then get a penguin from the zoo who mates with the first penguin to have 10 baby penguins. Before long, something must be done before they eat the Poppers out of house and home. It is a wonderfully absurd tale that makes kids (and parents) laugh out loud.  This book has simply delighted readers for several generations now.  A perfect summer read or even a family read aloud.  Read it before you go see the movie!!!  I always tell my boys we have to read the book before we go see the movie...a great reading incentive.  :)

 

Max Quick: The Pocket and the Pendant

By Mark Jeffrey

Young fantasy fans will love following Max Quick as he leads them on a high-speed tour of ancient myths, alien kingdoms, and some books you can really throw yourselves into (really).  Max, a pickpocket, a vagabond, an orphan, and a thief, finds himself in a "pocket" where everybody is frozen in time...except for Max.  He journeys across America to figure out the source of the time-stop and along the way meets others who are not suspended in time.  Max and his new friends search together for the cause of this disaster while they are also being chased by relentless and mysterious villains willing to anything to prevent Max from ending the Time-stop. A fresh, fun, and fascinating read that will make readers wish they had their own pause button pressed on time. 

This book was originally published as a podcast audiobook!!

The Voyage of Turtle Rex

by Kurt Cyrus

School Library Journal Review:

[STARRED REVIEW]
Nestled in the sand of the title page, a clutch of eggs begins to crack. They are sea-turtle eggs, but from another time, as hinted at by the giant clawed foot just visible at the top. A young turtle emerges and crosses the sand under the shadow of a Tyrannosaurus rex whose interest has been captured by a pair of unidentified small, red dinosaurs. She slips into the sea and a world of sharp teeth: sharks, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs. She hides away in a lush kelp forest and returns years later to lay her own eggs. The book ends with a nod to the varieties of turtles and tortoises alive today, and a note about the dangers facing them. Told in rhyming text, the story bounces along with only a few minor hitches, though adult readers may stumble on a few of the dinosaur names. Oversize pages give satisfying scale to the dinosaurs, which are illustrated in a realistic style. Subdued blues, greens, and browns dominate the palette. The book will hook insatiable young dinosaur fanatics looking for readable, factual stories.—Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR

Hooray for Amanda & Her Alligator

By Mo Willems

61/2 stories about two surprising friends.  These stories revolve around Amanda and her stuffed alligator who also happens to be her best friend.  Sometimes Amanda surprises her alligator with books.  Sometimes Alligator surprises Amanda by eating them.  But one day, Amanda brings home a rival toy, and Alligator finds an unexpected new friend.  One of my fave authors, Mo Willems, has taken an idea from his popular Knuffle Bunny series and created a new and funny friendship that readers of all ages will enjoy. One of the unique qualities of this read is that it goes beyond a simple picture book to be more transitional in the step to early chapter books.  Each of the 61/2 stories are written in their own "chapter".  His illustrated characters catch just the right pose to convey maximum information with a minimum of artistic sweat.  :)

Ellray Jakes is NOT a Chicken!
By Sally Warner

If EllRay can stay out of trouble at school he’ll get to go to Disneyland, but bullies Jared and Stanley are thwarting his efforts. Even though EllRay is the smallest kid in his 3rd grade class, he has a BIG personality. And he will not let Jared and Stanley call him a chicken or get in the way of his going to Disneyland.

This is the perfect book for boys and reluctant readers. A first in a series of many more to come. Full of action and humor, but most importantly, it gets at a very real issue in kids' lives and deals with it in a thoughtful way.

Saxby Smart Private Detective: The Pirate's Blood and Other Case Files
By Simon Cheshire

Saxby is a wise-cracking detective who solves crimes all over the world...while he still manages to get his homework done on time. This is the 3rd installment of the series which takes place during a school trip to Paris. Saxby must use his detective skills to solve a crime involving the ghost of a pirate and a mysterious arson attempt.

But Saxby cannot solve this mystery alone! He will need the help of his two best friends and the reader (you) to help him crack the case!!! Are you up for the challenge?