Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

I couldn't put this book down, after a rather hesitant start the story took off and remained reliably well formed with magic, adventure and emotional twists and turns.  It was part love story, part fairy tale and part bildungsroman with plenty of action for even the most resistant fantasy readers to find enjoyment in it.  Peak at the trailer on the authors website.

When Marian Sang, by Pam Munoz Ryan

I used this biography in a library program today (involving karaoke) and am once again impressed by its beauty.  The story is an amazing tale of success and triumph in the face of unfairness and adversity, which always has a powerful effect on an audience.  A classic to enjoy and learn from again and again.  Thank you Pam Munoz Ryan!

Book Trailer: Vote For Me! by Ben Clayton

Donkey vs. Elephant, who will win? I've been realizing that I love book trailers.....here's another new one.
Vote For Me! Teaser from Kids Can Press on Vimeo.

Book Trailer: Wumbers, by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

A new book is coming out for fans of Amy Krouse Rosenthal!  She has already written titles like Duck, Rabbit and Little Pea. This is all about playing with numbers to make words. A little like texting.

Android Apps for Education

eSchool News just came out with a list of 10 Best Android Apps for Education.
You can read the full article by Meris Stansbury here.  Most of the apps are geared toward High School students or teachers, but these 2 look good for pre-school to grade 1:  Kids ABC Phonics and Kids Numbers and Math.

Book Trailer: Insurgent, by Veronica Roth

If you are a fan of dystopian YA literature, this is the long awaited sequel to Divergent.  I'm currently reading Insurgent, so don't want to hear any spoilers, not sure this trailer does it justice.

Booklist: Meow! Meow!

Cat books I love reading to an audience:

• Green Eyes, by A. Birnbaum
• Have You Seen My Cat? by Eric Carle
• A Kitten Tale, by Eric Rohman
• Kitten's First Full Moon, by Kevin Henkes
• Mama Cat has Three Kittens, by Denise Fleming
• Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag
• Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, by Eric Litwin
• Sleep Tight , Ginger Kitten, by Adele Geras
• There are Cats in this Book, by Viviane Schwarz
• Three Little Kittens, by Paul Galdone
• Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku, by Lee Wardlaw

Booklist: Bunnies

These are a few Bunny stories that are sure to get a great reaction in a storytime or one-on-one reading:

Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake, by Michael B. Kaplan
Betty Bunny is a young rabbit who has her first taste of chocolate cake.   Chocolate it cake is so wonderful that she decides that she will marry it.  Tucked within the hilarity that ensues is a small lesson about patience.
Bunny Days, by Tao Nyeu
Bear helps the bunnies each time that they encounter a problem.  The problems are slightly disturbing if your mind wanders toward the reality of each situation (bunnies in the washing machine), however they are presented in a gentle funny way with happy endings.
Lets Make Rabbits, by Leo Lionni
What happens when a pencil and a pair of scissors decide to make rabbits?  A beautifully illustrated magical story.
Moon Rabbit, by Natalie Russell
Little white rabbit has a lovely life, a home in the city and her favorite places to visit, but she wonder if there could be a little bit more.  When she goes out for a moonlit walk, she makes a surprising discovery about friendship.
Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present, by Charlotte Zolotow
Mr Rabbit helps a little girl find the perfect present for her mother.  Beware the hysterical laughter when he offers up a pair of red underwear.
Muncha, Muncha Muncha! by Candace Fleming
Three intrepid bunnies thwart every effort that Mr. McGreely makes to keep them out of his garden.  .
My Friend Rabbit, by Eric Rohman
Rabbit and mouse are great friends, even though every where rabbit goes trouble follows.
Squish Rabbit, by Katherine Battersby
Squish rabbit is so little that he is hardly ever heard or noticed, which is how he was squished and got his name.  One day when he is trying to make himself a little less lonely, he discovers someone watching.
Little White Rabbit, by Kevin Henkes
Check out this video.........

Book Trailer: Secret Agent Splat the Cat

Splat the Cat, Written by Rob Scotton.  Video by HarperCollins Children's.

New Book: Big Nate Goes for Broke

The latest Big Nate book is on its way!  If you are a fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, you will love the Big Nate series.  His antics as a sixth grader are hysterically disastrous.  A new iPad app is also available!

Lauren Child Website

Milkmonitor, is the name of Lauren Child's website.  You may know Lauren Child best for her Charlie and Lola Series on TV, but she is also the author/illustrator of many children's books.  This website lists them all, but one of my favorites is about a library.  Can you guess which book that is?  Take a peak at this creative website, it has some interesting details that might inspire your artistic side.  The only thing that would make this site better would be a game or two.  That is heavily outweighed by the altruistic side of Lauren's website, which shows her support of UNESCO.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger.

Just imagine Yoda in Middle School....awesome!  Is Origami Yoda real or not?  This is a funny story about the wise advice that Origami Yoda gives to several middle school students. Each student tells their own story  about how Origami Yoda has affected their life and they try to discover if he is real or not!

Definitely worth the time to read!

Current Reading: Inheritance

I'm currently reading the last book in the Eragon Series aka The Inheritance Cycle, by Christopher Paolini.  The series is unique due to the incredibly young age of the author.  These fantasy books cross age boundaries from older children's literature to teen and adult interest, readers need to be ready to encounter battle violence and emotional conflicts that surround budding hormones.   The story line moves swiftly with a great deal of action, self-discovery and the revelation of a highly developed detailed setting: the world of Alagaesia.  This enjoyable fantasy series does reflect the youthfulness of the author's perspective, but it is a must read for die-hard fantasy fans.

Organizing the Book Shelf

Just because....

Read-A-Likes: Fancy Nancy

If you liked Fancy Nancy.........then you might like these books too!

Angelina Ballerina, by Katherine Holabird
The mouse, Angelina, dreams of becoming a ballerina.  Find out what happens!

Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake, by Michael Kaplan
When you first meet Betty Bunny, she doesn't want chocolate cake.  Then the magical happens, her first taste of chocolate cake.  She loves it so much she wants to marry it!  See what happens as her impatience for chocolate cake causes mischief.

Big Bouffant, by Kate Hosford
When Annabelle gets tired of the same old hairdo's that everyone always has, she tries something new, a big bouffant!  When her stylish hair starts a fashion trend in her school, she discovers she still wants to be unique.

Book list: Wind

Beginning to think about spring weather and one key element, WIND!  Enjoy a few of these windy weather  books that are great for reading aloud to groups or one on one.

Blowin' in the Wind, by Bob Dylan
Classic folk song re-imagined and illustrated by Jon J. Muth.

Feel the Wind, by Arthur Dorros

This scientific book about wind explains what causes wind in clear simple terms.  It includes a project for making a weather vane. 

Flora's Very Windy Day, by Jeanne Birdsall

Flora discovers that she had better be careful what she wishes for when the wind tries to carry off her pesky little brother.