GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 1961
Philippa Pearce, author
Antony Maitland, illustrator
London: Constable and Co., 1961
30 pp.
Ages: 4 +
Interests: cats, flying, balloons, London, ocean, boats
Also by this author: Tom’s Midnight Garden
Mrs. Cockle’s Cat
10 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+ Tags: balloons, cats, London, ocean
Top 5: Books About School
07 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+, books 5+ Tags: school
In honour of the First Day of School this week, here are some great books about life in the classroom.
1. Miss Nelson is Missing!, by Harry Allard – Age: 4 +
A very funny story about the most feared substitute teacher ever – Miss Viola Swamp! Sequels include Miss Nelson is Back, and Miss Nelson Has a Field Day. (This title on amazon.)
2. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henkes – Age: 5 +
Lilly has a dispute with her adored teacher over a distracting plastic purse. (This title on amazon.)
3. Ramona the Pest, by Beverly Cleary – chapter book – Age: 5 +
A chapter book about a rambunctious girl’s first adventures and misadventures in kindergarten. (This title on amazon.)
4. Math Curse, by Lane Smith – picture book – Age: 5 +
By the author and illustrator who brought you The Stinky Cheese Man, this is all about math anxiety, or seeing the world as an endless series of perplexing number problems. As a picture book, it would certainly entertain the kindergarten crowd, but older kids will ‘get’ more of the math concepts and jokes. (This title on amazon.)
5. Matilda, by Roald Dahl – chapter book – Age: 6 +
Precocious reader Matilda starts school and helps her favourite teacher battle the villainous principal. A darker tale of school life, with truly despicable adults and some violent scenes. In other words, typical Dahl. (This title on amazon.)
The City of Dragons
04 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+ Tags: China, difference, dragons, Fairy Tale, folktales, giants, loneliness, Magic
by Laurence Yep
illustrated by Jean and Mou-Sien Tseng
New York: Scholastic Inc., 1995
29 pp
Ages: 4 +
Interests: China, dragons, folktales, fairy tales, magic, giants, difference, loneliness
Also by this author: The Dragon Prince
Owl Moon
02 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+ Tags: birds, nature, night, owls, winter
CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER – 1988
by Jane Yolen
illustrated by John Schoenherr
New York: Scholastic, 1987
30 pp.
Age: 4 +
Interests: birds, owls, nature, winter
Each Peach Pear Plum
31 Aug 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books - infant+ Tags: nursery rhymes, poetry, puzzles
GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 1978
by Allan Ahlberg
illustrated by Janet Ahlberg
London: Viking Press, 1978
30 pp
Ages: infant +
Interests: nursery rhymes, eye-spy, puzzles, poetry
Also by these authors: Burglar Bill, The Jolly Postman, The Jolly Christmas Postman
Officer Buckle and Gloria
31 Aug 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+ Tags: dogs, police officers, safety
CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER – 1996
by Peggy Rathmann
New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1995
30 pp.
Ages: 4+
Interests: dogs, safety, police officers
Also by this author: Goodnight Gorilla
The Story of the Snow Children
31 Aug 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 2+, Classics Tags: elves, fairies, Magic, Princess, snow, winter
The Story of the Snow Children
by Sibylle von Olfers
first published in 1905 in Germany
English translation by Polly Lawson – Edinburgh: Floris Books, 2005
20 pp.
Ages: 2 +
Interests: fairies, princesses, snow, winter, parties, magic
Also by this author: The Story of the Root Children (1906), Princess in the Forest (1909), and The Story of the Wind Children (1910)
You might also like: Peter in Blueberry Land (1901) – very similar in story, style and look
Owl Babies
31 Aug 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 2+ Tags: birds, nature, night, owls, single parent
by Martin Waddell
illustrations by Patrick Benson
Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 1992
26 pp.
Ages: 2 +
Interests: birds, owls, nature, nighttime, single parent
Top 5: Insect Books for Preschoolers
24 Aug 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books - infant+, Quick Lists Tags: insects
Whether they fear them or love them, what kid isn’t fascinated by insects?
Top 5 Insect Books for Preschoolers:
1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle – Age: infants +
The classic book is available as a board book for the very young. Everyone knows this one (or should). The caterpillar eats his way through a ton of food before making his dramatic transformation.
2. Frog Went A-Courtin’, by John Langstaff – Age: 3 +
Old folk song wonderfully illustrated for children. Ostensibly about Froggie and Miss Mouse but there are an awful lot of insects invited to the shindig.
3. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, by Verna Aardema – Age: 4 +
A traditional African tale about events spiralling out of control as a result of a simple lie.
4. Grasshopper on the Road, by Arnold Lobel – Age: 5 +
Grasshopper hits the open road and meets many interesting insects along the way.
5. James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl – Age: 5 +
James adventures across the ocean on a giant peach, accompanied by several larger-than-life insect friends. A chapter book, perhaps about 9-yr-old reading level, but eminently suitable to read aloud to a five-year-old. Very short chapters, lots of action and humour.
Snowflake Bentley
22 Aug 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+ Tags: biography, nature, photography, science, scientists, snow, winter
CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER – 1999
By Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Illustrations by Mary Azarian
New York: Scholastic, 1998
30 pp.
Age: 5+
Interests: snowflakes, snow, biography, science, scientists, photography, nature
Also about W. A. Bentley: My Brother Loved Snowflakes by Mary Bahr
Rarest Kind of Best 