Waiting

It is the waiting time of year. Waiting for the first snow. Waiting for the leaves to fall off that last tree in front of the house. (and hoping it happens before the first snow). Waiting for the holidays. This year, waiting for the governmental transition. For kids it is waiting for presents and candies and a break from school. And, for kids, it can seem like the time for all these things is never going to actually get here.

While we are all in that waiting mode, as the wind whistles outside and the skies get dark mid-afternoon, maybe it’s a good time to curl up with your little one and a good book about…waiting.

Waiting by Kevin Henkes

An owl, a pig, a bear, a puppy, and a rabbit sat on a windowsill. Each one was waiting for something different. With spare language and soft, muted blues and greens and pinks, Henkes gives readers the sense of the thickness of waiting. Pegged for Preschool-K.

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Kraus and Crockett Johnson

A little boy planted a carrot seed. No one thought it would grow. He took care of it anyway. And he waited. But nothing came up. Everyone told him it would not grow. But he continued to take care of it. And then…

This book is over 70 years old and is still in print. A testament to its timeless quiet approach to waiting.

Pegged for ages 4-8.

Share your favorite books about waiting.

Books to Put Us in the Thanksgiving Mood

As we prepare to give thanks, here is a beautiful book that reminds us of all that we have.

Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp, illustrated by Erwin Printup

In a video reading of his book, Mohawk Chief Jake Swamp tells us this is “an ancient message of peace and appreciation of mother earth and all her inhabitants.” The quiet spare words of the Iroquois Thanksgiving Address are matched with the brilliant colors and flat lines of quiet spare paintings to put us in the mood of thanks. If you can’t get your hands on a copy, you might start your Thanksgiving quietly listening to Chief Swamp’s reading.

A book for all ages.

Along with the peace of giving thanks, there is the power of giving. Here is a book that shows how a small gift can go a long way.One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference by Katie Smith Milway, illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes

Kojo lives with his mother in a small village in Ghana. The people there do not have much money. But they have a big idea. Each gives a little money into a pot. Pooled together, the amount of money is not so small. It is big enough to help build a business. And when that business grows big enough, the money is paid back into the pot for another family to use. When it is Kojo’s mother’s turn, Kojo uses a few coins to buy a hen. And that is the beginning of a chain of events that leads him to school, then to build a big farm, and to help others by paying them to work on his farm. The author presents a clear and interesting introduction for kids on how this process called microlending works – from one hen to a thriving community. A small gift can go a long way.

Pegged for grades 3-7.

Share your favorite books about thanks and giving.

Now What?

I am back from my weeklong post-election hiatus. For half of our country, day-to-day assumptions about what our nation stands for were completely turned upside down. Maybe most heartbreaking were the children, looking to their grownups to explain. So here are a couple of books that might reassure just a bit.

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

A baby bird, newly hatched, falls out of his nest into the big scary world. He decides to set out in search of his mother. He finds a lot of animals out in the world – a cat, a hen, a dog – but none of them are his mother. He begins to wonder: Did he have a mother? But the baby bird is intrepid and he doesn’t give up. You probably have guessed there is a happy ending – read this satisfying book with your little ones to find out exactly how baby bird’s world is set right again.

Pegged for preschoolers.

For the slightly older set…

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Sixteen-year-old Kit has her life upended when her grandfather dies and she must leave her home in Barbados to resettle in colonial Connecticut in 1687, a place of intolerance where people look with suspicion on Kit who behaves so differently from them. When a deadly disease spreads through the community, the townspeople turn on Kit, accusing her of being a witch. Can Kit’s bravery and the support of her small circle of friends save her from the community’s wrath?

A Newbery award winner in 1959, this story reminds us that there have been many uncertain times in history but that the human spirit endures.

Pegged for 5-8 grades.

Share your favorite books about landing in a scary world.

What’s this thing called the electoral process?

The election is less than a week away. I remember the days when my children were young and their excitement in accompanying me to vote. What’s it all about? Here are a couple of good books to explain.

Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

When Grace’s teacher rolls out a poster of all U.S. Presidents from George Washington forward, Grace is shocked that there are no girls on there. She decides to run for President herself – at school. Her opponent is a do-it-all-well BOY.

Each kid in the class represents one state and decides how to cast that state’s electoral votes. Wouldn’t you know… the boys hold a slight edge in electoral votes. Can Grace win anyway?

It’s a good time to introduce kids to the electoral process….and a female candidate!

Pegged for ages 9-12.

For the slightly older set…

Voting and the U.S. Government a papersalt book

This spiral-bound book is chock full of well laid out and colorful information. When you get done with this book you will know all about the constitutional foundations for elections, the branches of government and the election process.

Great for middle school and high school.

Share your favorite election books!

Great Halloween Reads!

New and Fabulous

Eek! Halloween! by Sandra Boynton

My pick for this year’s best new Halloween read. The chickens are scared…YIKES! There’s a pumpkin nearby with flickering eyes. And a mouse of enormous size. That’s not even the half of it. What the heck is going on?!

A great board book from one of the board book masters. Pegged for kids up to age 5.

Oldie but Goodie

The Witches by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake

OK. This is a must. What’s Halloween without a little Roald Dahl? And The Witches is perfect for the occasion. It’s a fantasy about a group of witches who are out to rid the world of children by turning them all into mice and letting mice-phobic humans take care of the rest.

The boy hero of the story is out to foil the witches. But first he has to figure out who’s who. You see, these witches disguise themselves to look like ordinary ladies – it might be enough to make you take a closer look at some of the (seemingly) innocents walking around your neighborhood (tee hee).

The author is a master at creating horrifying scenarios (like children being turned to stone). But it’s his sense of humor that sets him apart. For example, the witches in this tale are all wig-wearing baldies who are constantly scratching their scalp-itch.

Pegged for Grades 3-7. Great fun!

Share your favorite Halloween stories!

Blowin’ in the Wind

Fall is late in coming this year. Most of the leaves near my house are still green. But this afternoon, the temps dropped a bit and the skies clouded over and fall suddenly seems imminent. Recently Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature. In celebration of his song Blowin’ in the Wind which is sung at many a kids summer camp, and in anticipation of those cold gusty winds that are almost upon us, I recommend the book

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

With gorgeous pictures rustling with fall shapes and colors, this book tells the story of Leaf Man as he is blown from his resting place by a fall wind. Where is he heading, the book asks? West over orchards and prairies? East towards the marshlands? We don’t know…cause a Leaf Man’s got to go where the wind blows. Pegged for ages 4-7.

And, if you want to hear an absolutely ADORABLE reading of this lovely book, check out 4 year old Jonah’s storytelling on you tube.

Share your favorite stories about fall!

Fly Me to the Moon

Ever have those nights when your kids just don’t want to settle down for sleep? Cuddling up with a good book sometimes helps. Here’s a new one that is so quietly beautiful it might just do the trick.

The Star Tree by Catherine Hyde

The Star Tree is about the wonders of drifting off to sleep and slipping into dreamland. It is midnight and Miranda’s nightlight has gone out. But there sits her rocking horse waiting to take her on a journey through the night sky. What makes this book so magical are the magnificent illustrations, each one shimmering like the world under the light of the moon and twinkle of the stars. This will help your little ones go to sleep with a smile. Pegged for Preschool-3rd grade.

Share your favorite bedtime stories!

The Wickedly Delicious Roald Dahl

We are now in October. Which means Halloween is creeping up on us (wha- hahahahaha). There is no more wickedly delicious author than Roald Dahl. So here are a couple of stories to get you in the mood…

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake

If your child hasn’t read about Willy Wonka and his famous chocolate factory, pick up a copy of this rollicking book and follow the adventures of Charlie and the four other winners of golden tickets in the zany world of Willy Wonka. Dahl paints a picture of kids so obnoxious you can’t help but be gleeful when they get their just desserts. Hee hee. Pegged for grades 3-6.

The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake

Here Dahl writes for the slightly younger set. When my kids were little we had endless readings of this book and never tired of it. The Enormous Crocodile is hungry and he has his mind set on a juicy child for lunch. As he leaves his swampy home and treks through the jungle toward the space where children are playing, he meets up with various other animals and disgusts them with his “secret plans and clever tricks” to snap up a delectable child. Follow along as the crocodile puts his plans into action and the other animals attempt to foil him. Pegged for grades 2-5.

Share your favorite Roald Dahl book!

Backbones and all that stuff

To start the week, we talked about the importance of knowing the “backbone of your community.” Which got me thinking about the physical in-the-body backbone.

You Can’t See Your Bones With Binoculars by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Amanda Haley

Here’s a book that gives your kids a picture of that amazing collection of bones that make it possible for us to sit, stand, do somersaults, and all sorts of other things we take for granted. The illustrations combine bone x-rays with a fun look at what’s happening on the outside of your body. Each page heading is a portion of the old folk song “Dry Bones”. Sing along as your read! Below the banner, the author explains exactly what those bones help you do. And invites your child to feel each set of bones in their own body, from head to toe. A really fun way to learn! Pegged for K-3rd grade.

What about all that other stuff going on in our bodies? This question is front and center for adolescents who are wondering exactly what’s going on in that changing body of theirs.

It’s Perfectly Normal by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Michael Emberly

This highly-praised oldie-but-goodie has been educating middle-schoolers about puberty for decades. The explanations are very frank, which can make some parents uncomfortable. But for those who want help answering your children’s questions, this should do it. I used this book with my own kids when they were at the adolescent stage and they were very absorbed, wanting to understand exactly what was causing their changing feelings – physical and emotional. Pegged for ages 10 and up.

Share your favorite books about the body!

The Power of Poetry

Poems are a special kind of reading all their own. Some tell a story. But many are more about feelings. They can lift our spirits. They can help us deal with our sorrow. They can give us the giggles. They can inspire us to new heights.

Here’s a new compilation of poems I highly recommend.

Poems to Learn by Heart by Caroline Kennedy, paintings by Jon J. Muth

Caroline Kennedy has picked over 100 poems to share. She casts her net broadly, reaching many parts of the human experience and, too, the imagination. There are poems about the mystery of fairies and the scariness of monsters, the drama of sports, the power of love and the sadness of war. And much much more. Kennedy introduces each section with a reflection about her own experience with poems. The accompanying paintings in rich blues, greens, reds and yellows, invite children into the poems themselves. Lovely. Whatever your age, there’s something for everyone.

Share your favorite poetry books!