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Kids Books Blog

"Please Play Along!" by Patches, resident faux hamster @ Salem Church Branch
Kid Books Blog, Animals, Imagination, Kids Blog, Lena Gonzalez-Berrios, Pets, Picture Book
03/19/2010 - 4:49pm

I took up residence on the Children’s Desk at the library about one year ago. Although I have been adored and admired by many, some people actually give me the cold shoulder. Can you believe that people say things like, “Oh, it’s a fake hamster. Whatever!” or “Let’s go. It’s not real.” I have even been called a rat! I want you all to know that I am listening, even if I don’t always physically react (my batteries run low sometimes, don’t yours?). And just for the record, I prefer the term faux.

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Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
LibraryPoint Blog, Kid Books Blog, Adriana Puckett, Kids Blog
03/02/2010 - 2:10pm

Green eggs and ham is the order of the day on March 2. This is the day we celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday, the beloved author who brought us such favorite characters as the Grinch, Horton, and the Cat in the Hat. 

Here are some activities to do to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday:

-Of course, read Dr. Seuss books!

-Download the Cat in the Hat audiobook from NetLibrary and listen to it with your family.

-Play games online at Seussville (there are things to print out too)

-Make one of the Dr. Seuss crafts or play a game from About.com

-Make green eggs and ham for dinner, or another recipe from the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook (here for samples).

-Have a contest to see who can speak in rhyme the longest.

And remember, you can celebrate Dr. Seuss any day. "Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one!"

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Kid Books Blog, Adriana Puckett, Humor, Kids Blog, Video
02/24/2010 - 6:26pm

If there's one series that I can count on my kids to read again and again, it's the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney. My 11 and 9 year-old have both re-read each book multiple times, laughing along at Greg Heffley's antics. For anyone who has not yet picked up a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book (and there are now four in the series, with a fifth one due out sometime this year), here's a trailer to tell you a little more about them. You can also check out the series' Web site at http://www.wimpykid.com/. There's even a movie coming out on March 19th.

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Ask Cornelia Funke a Question
Kid Books Blog, Adriana Puckett, Kids Blog
02/22/2010 - 3:26pm

Cornelia Funke, author of the Inkheart trilogy, Dragon Rider, The Thief Lord, and more kid favorites, has written a new book called Reckless that is due to be published in September. Curious about her new book? Want to know more about how she comes up with her cool ideas? Email her a question through Kidsreads.com! Selected questions will be answered in an online video right from Cornelia Funke. Go to Kidsreads.com and read all about it on the homepage.

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Snow Day Fun
LibraryPoint Blog, Kid Books Blog, All Fun, Crafts and Hobbies, Snow, Teacher Resources, Virginia Johnson
02/16/2010 - 3:02pm

What's the best thing about a snow day? Is it the thought of building the biggest, best snowman ever, taking a run down a sledding hill, or just spending a day away from school? Some people just enjoy how quiet nature seems to be under a blanket of winter white. Others can't wait to get out and get moving, even if it means shoveling the walk first!

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Newbery Medal Winner: "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead
Kid Books Blog, Books and Reading, Kids Blog, Newbery Medal, Samantha Thomason
01/18/2010 - 8:12pm

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead has won the 2010 Newbery Medal!

When You Reach Me, set in 1979, is about a twelve-year-old New York City girl who is in the midst of reading A Wrinkle in Time when she begins to receive a series of mysterious notes from an anonymous source that seem to defy the laws of time and space.

Rebecca Stead is also author of First Light, about New York City boy who accompanies his parents on a research trip to Greenland where he meets a mysterious 14 year-old girl named Thea who lives below the ice.

See the other award-winning children's books!

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And the REAL winners are...
LibraryPoint Blog, Reading Room Blog, Kid Books Blog, Books and Reading, Caldecott Award, Caroline Parr, Coretta Scott King Award, Newbery Award, Teen Blog
01/18/2010 - 9:04pm

I'm here in blustery, snowy Boston with about a thousand librarians and publishers gathered in the convention center to find out what books have won the prestigious awards for young people's literature.  There’s a buzz of speculation as people ask each other, “What do you think will win?” or “What is the book you gave your heart to this year?” 

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New booklist: Amazing Adventure Books
Kid Books Blog, Adriana Puckett, Kids Blog
01/05/2010 - 3:32pm

The action-packed books in the new Amazing Adventure Books list are perfect for a snowy winter afternoon. These stories are guaranteed to keep you glued to your seat as you experience the perils of crash landing in an icy wilderness, battling with pirates over treasure, or speaking with lions as you try to find your kidnapped parents. Browse the list and check out a new adventure today.

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Picture Books to Give
Kid Books Blog, Books and Reading, Caroline Parr, Children's Book Columns, Kids Blog
01/04/2010 - 9:53pm

The youngest people on your holiday giving list would appreciate a copy of Chris Gall’s “Dinotrux,” a proven hit with little boys (and girls, too, I’m sure).  According to Gall, many millions of years ago, dinotrux ruled the earth.  Part dinosaur and part truck, creatures like Semisaur and Garbageadon terrorized the cave men for millennia, until finally rusting away.  The trucks we see today are merely their tame descendants.

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Minfong Ho: Living in Three Languages
Kid Books Blog, Author Profiles, Caldecott Honor, China, Families, Girls Education, January kids, Kids Blog, Lullabies, Multicultural, Picture Book, Poetry, Thailand, Virginia Johnson
01/04/2010 - 10:18pm

When Minfong Ho was a small girl, she listened. She listened to her parents who taught her all those necessary things that parents do. Their words were Chinese, and their words went straight into her heart, giving her wisdom and strength.

When Minfong became a little older, she played in the streets, marketplaces, and temple fairs of Bangkok. All around her, she heard life being experienced: the shouting, the playing, the prayer, the love, and the daily work. It was time to grow, a time to learn how to do the practical things. Minfong came to think of Bangkok’s Thai language as the language of doing; the language of her hands.

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