Santa Claustrophobia by Mike Reiss

What happens when the stress of Christmas gets to Santa? Welcome to the town of Stinky Cigars, where the April Fool, Cupid, the Groundhog, the Easter Bunny and more famous characters live--including Santa. When Santa cannot get over his fear of getting stuck in a chimney with a blazing fire "I smell something cooking. I'm not sure just what. Is it ham? Is it lamb? No, I think it's my butt!" Doc Holiday tells him he has Santa Claustrophobia and needs to get away. Santa cannot leave with his big day coming up! Doc insists and he enlists the others in the town to fill in for Santa. Things do not go quite as planned. Will Santa relax? Will the others be able to help? Enjoy this wonderful goofy story with your entire family.

Why Do Bears Sleep all Winter? A Book about Hibernation by Mary Englar

This book is from our "First Facts" series and introduces our youngest readers to hibernation. How can bears and other animals sleep all winter long without eating or drinking anything for months? Just before they go to sleep they eat and eat and eat! When the food runs low and the days get shorter they hibernate for the long cold winter. Do all animals hibernate? No, some bury their food to help them in the winter, some migrate to warmer places. This book includes short "Did You Know?" facts like, Did you know? Black bears gain up to 30 pounds (14 kilograms) of fat each week as they get ready to hibernate. Check out Why Do Bears Sleep all Winter?

The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo & Illustrated by Yoko Tanaka

Peter is an orphan who lives with a family friend and longs to be with his parents and baby sister, who died when she was an infant. One day Peter visits a fortuneteller who tells him that his sister lives. When Peter asks her where his sister is, the fortuneteller tells him that an elephant will lead him to his sister! It is winter AND there are no elephants in their area!! Yet, Peter is not sure, could his sister be alive?

Across town a magician is entertaining the town’s people and as he tries to produce a bouquet of lilies, an elephant comes crashing through the roof. Everyone is shocked! Peter wonders ... could this be “the elephant”?

Join Peter and a large cast of characters as they go through the adventure of The Magician’s Elephant. Will Peter find his sister? Where did the elephant come from? What will happen to the elephant? All of your questions will be answered when you read The Magician's Elephant. Ms. DiCamillo is a Newbery award winner. Check out her website.

The Perfect Thanksgiving by Eileen Spinelli and JoAnn Adinolfi

Abigail Archer's family has The Perfect Thanksgiving: polite manners, incredible food, great family, and lots of proper things. Our narrator's family has The Perfect Thanksgiving: burnt turkey with smoke alarms going off, rude manners including burps and slurps, great family, and lots mischief. The two families have completely different Thanksgivings but they are both "perfect in every way!" This is an enjoyable read aloud. Bonus: the two turkeys from the cover appear on the pages of the story making it fun to find them as you read.

Inside Edge by Michael Teitelbaum

What would you do if you loved to play hockey and your older brother asked you to play on his team? Tony was the star of his team, probably his whole league. One day his older brother Vinnie was the referee at his game. Vinnie could not believe how fast his little brother was and started to think, “we need one more guy on our team, maybe Tony could play with us”. When Vinnie invited Tony to play on his team, the Seals, Tony was thrilled. Tony’s buddies were happy for him, but were afraid he was leaving them without their top scorer. Tony assured them that he could do both, play on his old team and on Vinnie’s team. Read Inside Edge and find out if Tony keeps his promise. Are you looking for an easy chapter book series? Check out the Backyard Sports series.

The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School by Laurie Halse Anderson

Zoe Fleefenbacher has wild, wonderful, magnificent hair that has a mind of it’s own. It can be quite helpful, especially when it opens cookie jars, turns on the TV and pours a glass of juice… all at the same time! Everyone has always loved Zoe’s hair. But now that Zoe is in first grade, things are about to change. Her teacher Ms. Trisk states, “School has rules. No wild hair in my class.” Zoe manages to tame her hair by using scrunchies, barrettes, rubber bands and even duct tape. But one day Ms. Trisk’s science lesson goes awry and Zoe’s amazing hair is suddenly needed. Does Zoe’s hair come to the rescue? Will Zoe’s hair be allowed to flow free in first grade? This is a fun picture book by award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson.

Old Black Witch by By Wende Devlin and Harry Devlin

Today we enjoyed an "oldie but goodie". Old Black Witch is a classic loved by many. My kindergarteners and first graders laughed along with Nicky, the little boy in the story, as the Old Black Witch tries to scare him. Nicky and his mom move to the country to open a tearoom and are very surprised when the home they bought comes with a witch! Old Black Witch had been asleep in the chimney for "one hundred years", until Nicky tries to start a fire in the fireplace and wakes her up! Old Black Witch is not pleased that there are people in her house! When Nicky's mom explains that they bought the house and are going to turn it into a tearoom, Old Black Witch wonders what will happen to her. Nicky's mom offers her a room in the attic. Eventually Old Black Witch pitches in to help in the tearoom by making Blueberry Pancakes (see her recipe below). Do they all figure out how to live together? Read Old Black Witch and find out.

From the back cover:
Bewitching Blueberry Pancakes
1 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspooons baking powder
3 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
3 Tablespoons melted fat or oil
1/2 cup washed blueberries
As you stir in the blueberries (this is the magic part) say three times:
Gobble dee gook
With a wooden spoon,
The laugh of a toad
At the height of the moon!
Pour on a hot griddle and watch.

You can make things disappear just like Old Black Witch. Put three pancakes in front of any hungry boy or girl and watch them go.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

Chasing Vermeer is the starter book for a new series of mystery books. In book one we meet our investigators - eleven year olds, Petra and Calder. Who is Vermeer? Vermeer was a painter in the 17th century. When one of his paintings turns up missing on its way to the museum in Chicago, Petra and Calder team up to solve the mystery of what happened to the painting. There are several notes that turn up suggesting that the person who has the painting just wants the truth to be told - "did Vermeer truly paint all the paintings that he gets credit for?". Their sixth grade teacher, Ms. Hussey, gets the class involved in what may have happened to the painting and if Vermeer is truly the creator of all the paintings. Petra and Calder are not so sure she is telling the class everything. What does she know about where the painting may be hidden? Love mysteries? Pick up Chasing Vermeer, book two The Wright 3 or the newest book The Calder Game. You will not be able to put the books down!

Visit the Scholatic web site full of activities
Blue Balliett's biography

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

The Pout-Pout Fish is the tale of a fish who pouts all the time. His friends try to cheer him up but he tells them that it is what he is:
I'm a pout-pout fish
With a pout-pout face.
So I spread the dreary-wearies
All over the place.
This charming story is the Michigan Reads book for this school year, "One state, One book". Join students across Michigan and read The Pout-Pout Fish. Will the pout-pout fish continue to spread the dreary-wearies or will he finally cheer up? Find out for yourself, read The Pout-Pout Fish.

Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds

What do you do when the chickens are tired of their chicken feed? Feed them salsa, of course! Rooster comes up with this idea after seeing the farmer’s wife watch cooking shows. But now the ducks and the pigs are tired of their food. No need to worry. Just leave it up to the rooster to spice up their food too. However, one day all of the animal’s spicy ingredients disappear. Looks like the farmer and his wife need them to make tamales for the county fair. Is the fiesta over for the farm animals or will rooster come up with a new culinary idea? Chicks and Salsa is a rollicking tale with colorful illustrations that are a feast for the eyes. This picture book will leave you smiling!

Punished by David Lubar

Logan learns that running in the library is never a good idea, especially when Professor Wordsworth catches you. Logan apologizes but the magical Professor Wordsworth tells Logan that “words aren’t always enough” and punishes him by blowing a mysterious dust from his book at him. What was Logan’s punishment? Well, it seems that Logan now can’t speak without talking in puns which is driving his family, teachers and friends crazy. Logan returns to the library to try to convince the Professor to remove his “pun”ishment. The professor agrees but only after Logan completes three tasks involving word games. Will Logan complete the tasks in time? Will his vocabulary return to normal? This is a clever, fun, fast-paced book and a must read especially if you enjoy word play.

Mr. Wiggle's Book by Carol L. Thompson

How do you take care of your library books? In Mr. Wiggle's Book we learn how to take good care of our library books so others can enjoy them too. As I met with my kindergarten students for their first checkout today in our school library we talked about what we need to do to be nice to our library books. Mr. Wiggle shares things that have happened to his book that make him sad. "Someone came to read my book.....". Bad things happen to Mr. Wiggle's Book. The pages are messed up by dirty hands, spilled juice, torn pages, scribbles, and holes. Mr. Wiggle asks the readers (or listeners) if they will be a good book friend. What a great book to help the youngest library users learn how to care for their library books.

The (Worst) Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson

School is back and so are the Herdmans! The Herdmans are possibly the worst six kids in the history of any school. They include Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys. They lie, cheat, steal, and mess things up for everybody else. We first met the Herdmans in The (Worst) Best Christmas Pageant Ever when they took over the church pageant. In The (Worst) Best School Year Ever the Herdmans are feared by their classmates. No one ever knows what they may be up to, but an assignment given by the 6th grade teacher makes Beth's class see Imogene in a different light. Miss Kemp assigns the class to keep a journal of compliments about their classmates and on the last day of class everyone will draw a name and share those compliments. Beth unfortunately did not come up with too many compliments about Imogene - and of course, she pulled Imogene's name from the hat on the last day. Did the class learn anything helpful about their classmates during the school year? What pranks do the Herdmans play on their classmates, teachers, and principal this school year? Check out The (Worst) Best School Year Ever and find out.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett

Do you know about the town of Chewandswallow? "The only thing that was really different about Chewandswallow was its weather. It came three times a day, at breakfast, lunch, and dinner." The townspeople enjoyed their frankfurters, meatballs and hamburgers, if it rains it is soup and juice. What happens when there is too much food or if the weather brings food you do not like? Check out Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and find out what happens.

Who Was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart

We all have heard of, or been to, Disneyworld. We all know the name Mickey Mouse, but do we all know the story behind Mickey Mouse or Disneyworld? In the book Who Was Walt Disney? we learn all about the man behind the Disney creations. Almost as soon as he could hold a pencil, Walt spent hours and hours drawing. He told everyone he was an artist. (pg. 8). He drew everywhere, including on the side of his family home - in tar! (Tar is black and sticky, and does not come off). In the early 1920s Walt began to animate his drawings. Read Walt's fascinating story in Who Was Walt Disney? There are other biographies in the Who Was ? series, enjoy them all.

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Amanda and Leo were born on the same day, at the same hospital. This happens a lot all around the world every day, so why are these two babies special? You could ask the elderly woman with the duck-shaped birth mark on her cheek who is looking at the two babies through the nursery window and later spies on the two sets of parents as they look through the nursery window OR you could read the story 11 Birthdays and find out.

Amanda and Leo are destined to spend every birthday celebrating together. It starts with their birth, and again on their 1st birthday. So every year their families give them a birthday party - together. At their 10th birthday party Amanda overhears something Leo says that will change their friendship and birthday forever.

One year later Amanda and Leo plan separate parties for the first time ever! Amanda does not like the way her birthday turns out, she misses Leo, but the next day is Saturday and she won’t have to face anyone at school until Monday. When Amanda wakes up the next morning it is her birthday AGAIN! The whole day plays out exactly like it did, including the party that she did not like. Amanda is totally confused, is she dreaming? What is going on? She goes to bed and wakes up on her birthday AGAIN! What? This cannot be happening. Read 11 Birthdays and see how Amanda gets out of this insane loop. Can anyone help her? Does anyone else realize that the day keeps repeating? And what does the mysterious woman with the duck-shaped birth mark on her cheek know? So many questions ... that is why I could not put down the book until I finished it!

Visit the author's web site for more titles by Wendy Mass

Swimming Sal by Carol Molski

Every dog at Hilltop Farm was a winner --
every dog except Sal.

Sal couldn't jump hurdles.
Her legs were too short.
She couldn't herd sheep.
It gave her a woolly mouth.
And her nose was too flat
to win Best of Show.

Poor Sal!

Sal was good at only one thing -- swimming!

Sal had to learn how to swim so she could win medals like all the other dogs at Hilltop Farm, but how? Sal had a perfect idea! She would join the swim team with Annie. She hid in Annie's gym bag and went to the local pool. Sal was swimming until Coach Mary spotted her in the pool and kicked her out. Coach Mary even put a sign up on the fence that said, NO DOGS ALLOWED. Sal tried to figure out how she would learn to swim and win her medal, but she could not come up with a plan. She figured it was a lost cause UNTIL she went to the pool to watch the relay race and became the hero. Read Swimming Sal to find out if Sal ever wins her medal. Does she become the Swimmingest Dog in the World?

Summer Reading is Killing Me! By Jon Scieszka

The Time Warp Trio – Joe, Sam, and Fred – find themselves face to face with characters of stories that they are suppose to read for their Summer Reading. How did all the characters get there? The boys discover that Fred stuck Sam’s summer reading list inside The Book. The Book was a gift from Joe’s uncle and it allows the boys to time travel. They were not going to use The Book this summer, but when the list was placed inside The Book they were thrown into a new world where storybook characters are alive! Trying to understand Joe says, "I saw Homer Price being carried by the Headless Horseman. Dracula was dragging Winnie the Pooh in a headlock. Mr. Twit was breaking Harold's Purple Crayon." Readers will recognize some of the characters and hopefully will be inspired to read other books to find out about the other characters. The boys need to find The Book and yank the list out before the evil teddy bear takes over all of the storybooks. With the help of “some girl”, (maybe Laura Ingalls? Anne of Green Gables? one of the Little Women?? they can't tell since they haven't read them!) the boys try and put a stop to the madness. Read Summer Reading is Killing Me! and see how many characters you recognize. Click on the link above to check out the other titles in this series, or visit the author Jon Sciezka's web site.

Wild Boars Cook by Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall

Horace, Morris, Boris, and Doris are back in their second book and they are hungry!! These bossy, smelly, stinky boars want pudding - massive pudding.- gross pudding! The boars add squid, donuts, bananas, and other unbelievable ingredients to their pudding. Doris stirs the pudding with her tail! UCK! Will the pudding be the "messiest, stickiest, gooiest, chewiest, most delicious pudding in the whole wide world”? Join the boars and see how it turns out. Also enjoy their first book, Meet the Boars.

Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath

Everyone in her small town thinks that her parents are lost at sea, but not 11-year-old Primrose Squarp. She asks, "Haven't you ever just known something deep in your heart without reason?" That is her feeling, her parents are on an island somewhere wondering if she is OK and she doesn’t much care what anyone else thinks. Primrose was left with a babysitter when her mother went out to rescue her father who failed to return from his fishing trip before a typhoon hit off the coast of their small British Columbia town, and the babysitter is getting paid three dollars an hour! The town council quickly tries to find a relative to take care of Primrose. Finally they find her Uncle Jack. Primrose has a lot to deal with, missing parents, a wacky uncle, accidentally setting the class guinea pig on fire, plus much more. The school counselor, Miss Honeycut was not very helpful. Primrose did find comfort in Kate Bowzer who is the cook and owner of The Girl on the Red Swing, a restaurant where everything is served on a waffle, anything you would like to eat. Join Primrose and the quirky adults in this charming adventure. Find out if Primrose is right about her parents. An added bonus are the recipes in the book. To find more titles by Polly Horvath check out her web site.

Judy Moody by Megan McDonald

Judy Moody was in a mood. Not a good mood. A bad mood. That is the title of the book and it tells you what to expect! Judy Moody is not happy about starting third grade! She knew it would not be as fun as second grade. She was right, her seat?, right in the front row next to Frank "Eats-Paste" Pearl.....PLEASE! When she is assigned to do a "Me collage" for school she puts it together with a lot of thought and hard work. She decides that her cat is too boring for her pet section so she goes to pick out a new pet for her "Me collage". When she can't find a two-toed sloth, she ends up with a Venus fly-trap. Do you know what to feed a Venus fly-trap? Raw hamburger, gross! Join Judy in her adventure through third grade. If you like this one, check out the other titles in her series at JudyMoody.com

Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary has been writing children's books since 1950 when she was a school librarian and one of her students came to her and said, "Where are the books about kids like us?". That is when she wrote her first book, Henry Huggins. Since then she has written many more books about "kids like us". Visit her web site to see more titles.

This weekend I picked up Muggie Maggie. Maggie is starting third grade and she is not happy that she will have to learn to write in cursive. When her teacher, Mrs. Leeper, tells the class that cursive is like a roller coaster Maggie decides she will just make roller coasters - up, down and around. No cursive for her! As the year goes on and the class is learning cursive, Maggie continues to protest-she can print and she uses the computer, why should she learn cursive? Maggie finds out that if you cannot write in cursive, you cannot read cursive! Read Muggie Maggie and find out if this gifted and talented third grader learns to write and read cursive.

Dirt on My Shirt by Jeff Foxworthy

April is Poetry month! Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has written a children's poetry book (actually he has written two, see below).
The title poem is:

Dirt on My Shirt
There's dirt on my shirt
And leaves in my hair
There's mud on my boots
But I don't really care

Playing outside is so much fun
To breathe the clean air
And feel the warm sun

To stomp in a puddle
Or climb a big tree
Makes me quite happy
Just look and you'll see

The illustrations by Steve Bjorkman are perfect for each poem. Pick up a copy today and enjoy! The duo teamed up again for their second poetry collection which was released in February 2009 - Silly Street. Happy Poetry Month!

How I Survived Being a Girl by Wendelin van Draanen

Carolyn enjoys a lot of things most girls do not, and she does not like a lot of things other girls like. She likes short hair, stickball, hanging out with her brothers and her best friend. She does not like dresses, ruffles or anything "girly". Carolyn tells her story in first person. She is a tomboy with scabbed knees who has figured out that she can wear shorts under her dresses or skirts. While reading this book, I could relate to a lot of the things Carolyn described, including having to wear dresses to school, hanging out with her brothers and not being able to have a paper route. Even though the story does not identify a specific time period, the reader can guess that it takes place in the 1960s. Along with her two brothers Carolyn spies on her neighbors “the freckos”, plays stickball and digs foxholes in their backyard. Charlie is Carolyn’s best friend and they do a lot of things together, but why does Carolyn’s feelings for Charlie take a strange turn during the summer? When her baby sister is born at the end of the book, Carolyn tells the readers, "I tell her... how being a girl is actually all right once you figure out that you should break some of the rules instead of just living with them." A good book about the innocence of growing up.

He Came With the Couch by David Slonim

"He came with the couch" is all Sophie's Dad said. When Sophie's family needed to find a new couch they went from rummage sale to garage sale to yard sale, but they could not find the perfect couch. Her Dad finally found a twenty four hour rummage sale AND the perfect couch. They loaded it on the truck and drove home. Sophie noticed that someone was sitting on the couch and when she asked her Dad all he said was, "He came with the couch". Sophie tried to find out who he was, but he didn't move or speak. Her parents tried to get rid of him, but they could not move him. They called a doctor who said that he had upholsterosis and needed to get out more. So the family took him, and the couch, to the Grand Canyon, the Beach, and even the Lincoln Memorial but nothing could move him off the couch...UNTIL! Read He Came With the Couch to find out what finally gets him off the couch and what happens when the family has to buy a new chair!

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Meet the Beaumont family - Momma, Poppa, Rocket, Fish, Mibs, Samson, and Gypsy. They live with their Grandpa Bomba. They are not your ordinary family, except for Poppa. Grandpa Bomba can move mountains (and other parts of land) just by thinking about it; Momma does everything perfect (even when she doesn't try); Rocket has a special spark, he sends electricity through things and usually makes a mess; Fish has a storm brewing inside him, the wind and rain that appear are very unpredictable; Mibs (short for Mississippi), Samson and Gypsy are not thirteen yet, which is an important birthday for the Beaumonts. On their thirteenth birthday their SAVVY - a magical power - presents itself. Mibs is just days away from her thirteenth birthday and she cannot wait to find out what her SAVVY will be. Just days before her big day, Poppa is hurt in a bad car accident far away from home. Rocket and Momma leave the family to be at Poppa's bedside.

Things get worse for the remaining Beaumonts when Miss Rosemary, the preacher's wife, comes to take care of the family figuring that Grandpa Bomba needs her help. The problem now, is Miss Rosemary wants to have a birthday party for Mibs at the church. The Beaumonts know that this is not a good idea since they have no idea what Mibs' SAVVY will be and when it will present itself.

On her thirteenth birthday Mibs is excited and scared when she thinks about what will happen when her SAVVY appears. When Fish turned thirteen his SAVVY appeared as a storm which rapidly turned into a hurricane. Fish could not control his SAVVY so the family moved far away from any water. They settled between Kansas and Nebraska - which the family calls Kansaska-Nebransas. Now it is Mibs' turn, will she be able to control her SAVVY?

When Mibs' SAVVY presents itself she is very confused, but she is convinced that her SAVVY can save her Poppa. Join Mibs, Fish, Samson and the preacher's kids - Bobbi and Will Junior - on their wild ride to get to the hospital and save Poppa. What happens along the way surprises everyone.

This is the first novel for Ingrid Law - and she won a Newbery Honor Medal for the book! It is a magical tale of friendship and adventure. This is a book that you will find hard to put down once you start reading it.

Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems

....and the winner is! The Hilton and Spencer first graders all voted for their favorite book of 2008 and the winner is Are You Ready to Play Outside? This book also won the Dr. Seuss award for 2008! Way to go first graders! Are You Ready to Play Outside? is a new Elephant & Piggie Book, which all our readers love! Gerald, the elephant and Piggie try to play outside until it rains. The rain ruins their fun, UNTIL they see two worms playing in the rain. Do Elephant and Piggie find happiness in the rain?

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson; illustrated by Beth Krommes

The library awards are out! The American Library Association announced their medal winners Monday, January 26, 2009. The Caldecott winner is The House in the Night. Journey inside the house with the simple text, “In the house / burns a light/ In that light / rests a bed. / On that bed / waits a book". The illustrations are black and white, with yellow accents. Half way through the book the story begins to climb backward, watch the excitement of the students when they realize that the story is "rewinding". Enjoy the illustrations, it is this year's Caldecott medal winner!

What To Do About Alice? by Barbara Kerley

Alice Roosevelt was a very curious young lady. Her father was Teddy Roosevelt. Alice enjoyed "eating up the world." She wanted to go places, meet people, and do things. When Alice was young she watched as the academy girls walked properly down the walk to school. Alice went to school at home, where she had plenty of adventures. When Alice was seventeen her father became the President of the United States. Alice became a Goodwill Ambassador as she visited other countries as a representative of her father's presidency. This charming book follows the story of one of America's sweethearts - Alice, the President's daughter. See why the President once said, "I can be President of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly DO BOTH!" Another possible Caldecott winner - tune in at the end of January to see if the illustrator, Edwin Fotheringham wins the Caldecott for his first picture book.

Edward's Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan

From the moment that Jake looked into Edward's beautiful blue eyes, he knew that Edward was something special. Those eyes, Jake knew, looked at the world in a way no one else could. Edward was destined for greatness.

Edward's Eyes is the story of a loving family. However, it is Jake and Edward that have a special bond. Jake loves Edward more than anyone! There is no one like Edward. He can throw a perfect knuckleball. Edward knows how to make people laugh and he always knows the right thing to say at the right moment.

For Jake and Edward, the summer is proving to be a time of great changes. However, Jake learns that not all changes are easy to accept. Friendships, family, love and loss are all beautifully examined in this short, simple book.

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

Wilbur is not like any other naked mole rat in his colony. He wears clothes...and he likes it! Even when the others in his colony tease him, Wilbur continues to pursue his love for clothes. Being different isn't easy. When the other naked mole rats see Wilbur dressed in clothes they say things like, "Ewwwwwwwww" and "Yuuuck". They even bring Wilbur in front of Grandpah, the oldest, wisest and most naked mole rat in the colony. What will happen to Wilbur and to his clothes?

Mo Willems is back! This engaging story promotes individuality and self-pride.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

What is the buzz about these books? I cannot keep them on the shelf in my libraries!! Jeff Kinney has a winner in his series of the Wimpy Kid. His third book came out this week and I had several requests for the book, before it came out! The Wimpy Kid books follow the life of Greg Heffley. Greg is in middle school and like many other middle school students there is a lot to deal with. Greg's mom buys him a diary to help him record his thoughts - he specifically asked her NOT to buy anything that had the word "diary" on it - in Greg's words, "Don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that". And so it begins ...

Did you know that the books started out on Funbrain.com in 2004, as daily entries in Greg's journal? What makes these books so popular? "They are just a lot of fun to read.", is a comment from one of my students. Pick one up today and have fun! Kinney also published a Do-It-Yourself Book (the orange one above) that allows you to create your own diary - “First of all, let me get something straight: This is a journal, not a diary.” - from Greg.
Watch for book 4 and 5 to be published soon!

Old Bear by Kevin Henkes

Old Bear falls asleep for the winter. He dreams about all the seasons. In his dream he is a cub in the spring sleeping in the flowers. He dreams about the butterflies and rain in the summer. In the fall everything he dreams about is yellow, orange, or brown, even the fish and the water! Then he dreams it is a beautiful winter day. When old bear wakes up he feels like no time has past, but when he steps outside it is spring ... and he is not dreaming! The illustrations in this book are wonderful. Mr. Henkes may be the Caldecott medal winner again this year for his illustrations (the award will be given out on Monday, January 26, 2009) . Visit Mr. Henkes' website for more information about his books and illustrations.