Great news! Oprah’s Book Club has teamed up with the American Library Association (ALA), to create the Kids Reading List. The list has been divided into separate categories: Infant-2, 3-5 Years, 6-9 Years, 10-12, 12 and Up, and Classics. The lists can be found at the website of Oprah’s Book Club and are based on the recommendations from the ALA. Each list has two pages: the first page is for new releases and the second is for classics – except, of course, the list titled ‘Classics’ which is made entirely of … classics. As I read each list I was…
Author: TCBR Contributor
TCBR Contributor
The Children’s Book Review, named one of the ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Great Web Sites for Kids, is a resource devoted to children’s literacy. We publish reviews and book lists of the best books for kids of all ages. We also produce author and illustrator interviews and share literacy based articles that help parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians to grow readers. This article was written and provided by one of TCBR's regular contributors.
Working in a Washington, DC children’s book store regularly reminds me that I am not, in fact, an American. It’s not really because people sometimes ask me if I am from Boston (please come back cute Australian accent!), but rather because of the books people request as childhood classics. I know now that no home in the US is without a copy of Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, and there’s probably more than one copy, as it is a baby shower gift staple. So anyone looking for some new ideas, or any fellow Australians now residing overseas desperately trying…
Recently, I posted a book review of The Pout-Pout Fish, by Deborah Diesen, and now here comes the fun part … an exclusive interview with the lovely author. The extra insight into the world of Mr. Fish makes me adore the story even more. And wait until you read the description of her next book to be published, it sounds hilarious – but you’ll have to read the interview to find out more … Bianca: The Pout-Pout Fish is such a fun book, what was the inspiration behind it? Debbie: The story grew out of an actual pout! My elder…
Melvin Might? by Jon Scieszka (author), David Shannon (illustrator), Loren Long (illustrator), and David Gordon (illustrator) Reading Level: Ages 3-8 Hardcover: 42 pages Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, (October 28, 2008) COMING SOON! Adorable! Melvin Might is the latest addition to Jon Scieszka’s Trucktown series – an energized series based on very personable truck characters, and teamed with great pictures from a very notable team of illustrators. I just love Melvin’s character, he’s a worrier with a BIG heart. If you are not familiar with the Trucktown series, it has plenty of kid appeal – in fact Scieszka’s main…
The Pout-Pout Fish (A New York Times Best Seller) by Deborah Diesen (Author), Dan Hanna (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 4-6 Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (March 18, 2008) The Pout-Pout fish is a very ‘glum’ fellow with a well illustrated pout. Many of his ocean friends question his demeanor, to which he always responds with the same clever rhyme, explaining that it’s just the way he is and that he is destined to always have the “dreary wearies”. Or is he? Well … you’ll have to read it to find out if it’s possible to…
The combination of rhyming text, bold illustrations (black, white and hot pink are the main colors used), the gloss finish of Darkness, and Burfoot’s clever ability to create a story based on fear, yet never actually label it, make this a wonderful book for any child afraid of the dark.
Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? by Karen Beaumont Reading level: Ages 3-7 Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (May 27, 2008) Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? Well … normally I would have to say it was me, but this time it was someone else! Reminiscent of the preschool game Who Stole the Cookie From the Cookie Jar, Beaumont has created an ‘ear-catching’ story. The simplicity and repetitiveness of the words, combined with the rhyming, make this a story that is really easy for youngsters to listen to, and is perfect for an interactive story time.…
Everyone loves Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which just happens to be the inspiration behind The Gollywhopper Games.
Besides reading children’s books, some of my favorite past-times involve dancing and traveling. So when a friend e-mailed me a link to a You Tube video, titled Where the Hell is Matt?, which involved travel and dance, I immedietley wanted to share it. The video is worth the 4 minutes and 29 seconds, the scenery, the soundtrack, and the simplicty had me transported from my windowless office (in a corner of my kitchen) to somewhere special – a place that felt good to me (and I am not going to lie, I was a little envious of Matt, I could…
Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy Reading level: Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (June 10, 2008) The first thing that appealed to me about the Astronaut Handbook, by Meghan McCarthy, was certainly the illustrations. The cover of the handbook shows super cute astronauts wearing bright orange suits holding onto their helmets – it really stood out on the store display. I immediately picked it up and started reading to find out if I had what it took to become an astronaut – I’d like to think that I do! McCarthy’s handbook gives a kid friendly…