From: cathys at uproc.lib.mi.us <cathys>
Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:07:12 -0500 (EST)

For toddlers I recommend Margaret Wise Brown's "Nibble Nibble" newly illustrated by Wendell Minor. The verses are perfect for reading aloud to our youngest patrons and the large paintings are great for storytime viewing. For fun I recommend "Merry Christmas, Cheeps!" by Julie Stiegemeyer, a cute follow up to last year's "Cheep! Cheep!"

For children in kindergarten and grade 1, I appreciate the magical, colorful "Little Night" by Yuyi Morales, and "On Meadowview Street" by Henry Cole, a fun environmental story. In real life, I imagine most neighbors would be upset when the people next door don't mow their lawn; too bad for our environment (and our dreams)! I also enjoy "Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story From Africa: by Niki Daly and "A Second is a Hiccup: A Child's Book of Time" by Hazel Hutchins, cheerily illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton. I laughed with Catherine Stock's "A Porc in New York."

I have many favorites for children in grades 2-3. "Henry's Freedom Box" by Ellen Levine (gorgeous illustrations, heart rending story), "Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin" by Michelle Lord (interesting cultural book), "This is a Poem that Heals" by Jean-Pierre Simeon (lovely, colorful illustrations and enchanting prose--perhaps my very favorite), "Mia's Story" by Michael Foreman (graceful and thoughtful, as usual), "The Shrunken Head" by Denys Cazet (a very funny reader series), "Today and Today" haiku by Issa, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (oh, so beautiful and moving), "Different Like Coco" by Elizabeth Matthews (energetically illustrated, strong woman whose ideas changed the world of fashion (and women's working clothes)), and "Who Lives in an Alligator Hole?" by Anne Rockwell (I had never though about that).

For students in grades 4-5 I appreciate "Sweet Land of Liberty" by Deborah Hopkinson, always one of my favorite authors, and Sneed Collard's "Pocket Babies and Other Amazing Marsupials." (He, too, is a favorite author.)

For students in grades 6 and up I haven't read as much as I should but have two favorites so far, "The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain" by Peter Sis, and Shaun Tan's "The Arrival." My coworkers are enjoying
"The Klipfish Code" by Mary Casanova and "Home of the Brave" by Katherine Applegate. (Klipfish Code would be for middle schoolers actually.)

For us all: "Why War is Never a Good Idea" by Alice Walker.




Cathy Sullivan Seblonka Youth Services Librarian Peter White Public Library 217 N. Front St. Marquette, MI 49855 906-226-4323 906-226-1783 fax cathys at uproc.lib.mi.us
Received on Fri 14 Dec 2007 12:07:12 PM CST