No, not "those" lions. The Riverdale branch of the NYPL was given two (sleepy!) lion statues and they need names. You can vote by emailing communications@nypl.org.
I suggested Darwin and Einstein as well as Shakespeare and Aesop.
What are you going to propose?
Showing posts with label Library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Library. Show all posts
Friday, April 5, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
A Shopping Cartful of Books
Okay, so it's just a toy shopping cart, but still... this girl can't be stopped! If she keeps insisting on breaking her previous record of the number of books she's taken out from the library, we'll actually need to bring this cart! This time it was 26. Thankfully they are mostly thin paperbacks and light to carry. Please, authors, no more fairy books, Weird School books, or Katie Kazoo books - she'll never keep up - or have time to read anything else!Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Truly Vintage Alphabet Books
Over the weekend we went to the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library (yes, they put a hyphen in New-York). Our first stop was not the DiMenna Children's History Museum but a small exhibit on the fourth floor of a collection of not just model trains but all their accoutrements - train stations, miniature figurines, merry-go-rounds, and more. There was a pamphlet available for a self-guided scavenger hunt and it was a blast. Then we headed downstairs for the Children's Museum. My older daughter loved it (her class has been having regular visits from an educator from the Society) but I was unimpressed, except by these vintage alphabet books and games.
There's a reason the Historical Society has been given the nickname "New York City's attic!"
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Doll-Lending Update
The story in the New York Times last week about an NYPL branch that was lending out an American Girl doll has resulted in tons of offers and donations of the dolls. Sadly, the library has refused the offers. I'm not sure why and it seems like such a shame.
Meanwhile, my daughter has discovered the existence of the dolls and may use some birthday money to buy one. She is having a hard time deciding which one!
Does your daughter have one?
Meanwhile, my daughter has discovered the existence of the dolls and may use some birthday money to buy one. She is having a hard time deciding which one!
Does your daughter have one?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Library Round-up #8
Mini-reviews of just a few of the 100+ books we currently have out from the library.
When I Was Small by Sara O'Leary, with illustrations by Julie Morstad. My 5-year-old picked this gem out at the library by herself. With its old-fashioned, vintage feel and beautiful illustrations, as well as its understanding of childhood, it reminds me of works by Charlotte Zolotow. A young boy asks his mother to tell him about when she was "small." Not young, small. And so the mother interprets the request literally, and poetically tells him about when she and her doll were the same size, when she could wear a daisy for a sunhat, and lived in a dollhouse. Lyrical, beautiful, original. This one's going on my to-buy list. I'll also be placing a hold on When You Were Small by the same pair at the library and checking out anything else by either the author or the illustrator, as well as the publisher, Simply Read Books.
Please, Louise! by Frieda Wishinsky and Marie-Louise Gay. This story about an older brother, Jake, who wishes that his little sister Louise were a dog because she just won't stop bothering him is spot-on in its portrayal of sibling relationships. When Jake thinks that his wish came true, he realizes how he should have been more careful about what he wished for.
Oonga Boonga also by Frieda Wishinsky. Another book about older-brother-younger-sister siblings. Here, the older child is the only one who can comfort his baby sister. This is a nice, empowering read for a new older sibling. The baby here is also named Louise, so I thought this might be the same pair of sibs as in Please, Louise!, but alas, the older brother here is Daniel.
How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman, illustrated by Allen Say. The story of how the author's American sailor father and Japanese mother met and tried to master each other's eating habits is a charming tale of overcoming and even embracing cultural differences as well as showing what unites us all.
I Gotta Draw by Bruce Degen. The seemingly autobiographical story of a boy who loves to draw, the real heroine here is the teacher who finally realizes that she has to change her teaching methods rather than punishing her student for doodling. When she lets him spell words as he draws them and incorporates his art into other areas of learning, she finds it has enormous benefit for him as well as the rest of her class. I love how it shows that teachers learn from their students. The dedication, while ambiguous, is, I bet, to the real teacher on whom the fictional teacher is based.
Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson. Another book that turns the Goldilocks story on its head (like Mo Willems's Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs which I review here), this one inverts the story so that it is a bear who makes himself at home at someone else's apartment. The unexpected twist at the end adds to the humor.
No Bears by Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Leila Rudge. Ella thinks bears have no place in books. A book needs pretty things and funny things, and even scary things - as long as those scary things are not bears. Of course, the joke is on Ella...
Chloe and the Lion. This Mac Barnett-Adam Rex collaboration is my favorite of theirs so far. In it, the the author directs the illustrator how to illustrate his story about Chloe and the lion and predictably, conflict ensues. Suddenly, Chloe and the lion themselves get into the act to complain about the plot and how they are depicted. Unique and funny.
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
When I Was Small by Sara O'Leary, with illustrations by Julie Morstad. My 5-year-old picked this gem out at the library by herself. With its old-fashioned, vintage feel and beautiful illustrations, as well as its understanding of childhood, it reminds me of works by Charlotte Zolotow. A young boy asks his mother to tell him about when she was "small." Not young, small. And so the mother interprets the request literally, and poetically tells him about when she and her doll were the same size, when she could wear a daisy for a sunhat, and lived in a dollhouse. Lyrical, beautiful, original. This one's going on my to-buy list. I'll also be placing a hold on When You Were Small by the same pair at the library and checking out anything else by either the author or the illustrator, as well as the publisher, Simply Read Books.
Please, Louise! by Frieda Wishinsky and Marie-Louise Gay. This story about an older brother, Jake, who wishes that his little sister Louise were a dog because she just won't stop bothering him is spot-on in its portrayal of sibling relationships. When Jake thinks that his wish came true, he realizes how he should have been more careful about what he wished for. Oonga Boonga also by Frieda Wishinsky. Another book about older-brother-younger-sister siblings. Here, the older child is the only one who can comfort his baby sister. This is a nice, empowering read for a new older sibling. The baby here is also named Louise, so I thought this might be the same pair of sibs as in Please, Louise!, but alas, the older brother here is Daniel.
How My Parents Learned to Eat by Ina R. Friedman, illustrated by Allen Say. The story of how the author's American sailor father and Japanese mother met and tried to master each other's eating habits is a charming tale of overcoming and even embracing cultural differences as well as showing what unites us all. I Gotta Draw by Bruce Degen. The seemingly autobiographical story of a boy who loves to draw, the real heroine here is the teacher who finally realizes that she has to change her teaching methods rather than punishing her student for doodling. When she lets him spell words as he draws them and incorporates his art into other areas of learning, she finds it has enormous benefit for him as well as the rest of her class. I love how it shows that teachers learn from their students. The dedication, while ambiguous, is, I bet, to the real teacher on whom the fictional teacher is based.
Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson. Another book that turns the Goldilocks story on its head (like Mo Willems's Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs which I review here), this one inverts the story so that it is a bear who makes himself at home at someone else's apartment. The unexpected twist at the end adds to the humor. No Bears by Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Leila Rudge. Ella thinks bears have no place in books. A book needs pretty things and funny things, and even scary things - as long as those scary things are not bears. Of course, the joke is on Ella...
Have you read any of these? What did you think?
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
A Toy Library... With A Single Toy
Today there was a great article in the NY Times about one NYPL branch that lends out an American Girl doll. Yes, "an." A single doll. As most of you know, these are incredibly expensive dolls, sold with expensive accessories at a store which includes a cafe for tea with your doll and a hair salon - for the doll! Each doll comes with a set of books and has a back story, each set in a different time and place in American history.
There are so many things I love about the idea of lending one of these dolls out. I love that children of all different backgrounds are borrowing the same doll and returning her with accessories and clothes from their own cultures. I love that despite the "children getting older younger" phenomenon, girls as old as eleven are still playing with dolls, as they should. (I've noticed that in older books about dolls, the girls who play with them are almost always older than the age at which girls allegedly outgrow dolls today.)
My daughter devours the American Girl books, which are a great introduction to historical fiction. But she has no idea there are corresponding dolls. There is no promotional material in the books other than the picture on the cover, which looks like the corresponding doll. But if you don't know about the doll, then it's just a regular book cover.
I know there are other places in the country and around the world that have toy libraries, as I mentioned briefly here. I know a lot of them cater to children with special needs, but just like a typical library, a toy library could serve all children. I'd love to have my kids try out toys before I buy them, which is essentially what I do when I watch them carefully to see what they play with at other people's houses!
Maybe this article will encourage more libraries to lend out toys. After all, they lend music and movies and music scores. Why not toys?
Have you ever been to a toy library? Does your town have a toy library? Do you wish it did?
There are so many things I love about the idea of lending one of these dolls out. I love that children of all different backgrounds are borrowing the same doll and returning her with accessories and clothes from their own cultures. I love that despite the "children getting older younger" phenomenon, girls as old as eleven are still playing with dolls, as they should. (I've noticed that in older books about dolls, the girls who play with them are almost always older than the age at which girls allegedly outgrow dolls today.)
My daughter devours the American Girl books, which are a great introduction to historical fiction. But she has no idea there are corresponding dolls. There is no promotional material in the books other than the picture on the cover, which looks like the corresponding doll. But if you don't know about the doll, then it's just a regular book cover.
I know there are other places in the country and around the world that have toy libraries, as I mentioned briefly here. I know a lot of them cater to children with special needs, but just like a typical library, a toy library could serve all children. I'd love to have my kids try out toys before I buy them, which is essentially what I do when I watch them carefully to see what they play with at other people's houses!
Maybe this article will encourage more libraries to lend out toys. After all, they lend music and movies and music scores. Why not toys?
Have you ever been to a toy library? Does your town have a toy library? Do you wish it did?
Friday, December 28, 2012
Library Loot #18, Part 3
For me:
Not pictured: Oddly Normal by John Schwartz, which I just picked up today.
What are you reading?
Not pictured: Oddly Normal by John Schwartz, which I just picked up today.
What are you reading?
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Library Loot #18, Part 2
Chapter books we have out from the library right now. Most of these were chosen by my 7-year-old, but I admit to holding on to a few to fill in some of my kidlit gaps.
Due to technical difficulties, the photography leaves a lot to be desired. But you can still see what we're reading!
As you can see, she is still heavily into series: Katie Kazoo Switcheroo, the Weird School books, the Humphrey books, the , those fairy books, the Amazing Days of Abby Hayes series, the Piper Reed series and the American Girl books.
What is your chapter-book-reader reading?
Due to technical difficulties, the photography leaves a lot to be desired. But you can still see what we're reading!
What is your chapter-book-reader reading?
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Library Loot #18, Part 1
With the kids on break, we had to make sure they - and I- had enough reading material. We have so many books our from the library right now that I decided to split this post up into three parts - picture books, chapter books, and books for me.
Picture books:
Up close:
Picture books:
Up close:
Friday, September 21, 2012
Library Round-up #7
More mini-reviews of our recent borrowings.
Picture Books
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs as retold by Mo Willems. As soon as I got home with this book I handed it to, nope, not my kids, but my husband. I knew he'd appreciate the parodic, absurdist, sarcastic humor. And he did. A few days later I read it to my girls and, not surprisingly, they didn't really get it. It went over my 4-year-old's head completely. My seven-year-old got that there were jokes and got that the sarcastic parts meant exactly their opposites, but didn't understand why that should be funny. This is, in my opinion, one of those picture books that is really meant for grown-ups or older children, both because of the humor and because of the fact that it refers to other literature. Willems has the luxury of being so popular that parents are going to buy this either not realizing that it's not meant for (young) kids or not caring. It is, however, perfect for an older class's unit on fairy tales.
Woof Meow Tweet-Tweet by Cecile Boyer. Another picture book for grown-ups, this time for those interested in design. In each place where you would expect to find a picture of an animal, you find the word that represents the sound the animal makes. The book is beautiful but has no plot, being called halfway through (and rightfully so from a story-oriented perspective) by my 4-year-old, "boring."
Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten! by Hyewon Yum. This book about a boy's first day of kindergarten is really about the truth that the parents are often more anxious about this big day than the new student. But while the concept is sweet, the execution, starting with the title, lacks any subtlety. A nice but not necessary addition to the first-day-of-kindergarten canon.
The Word Collector by Sonja Wimmer. This book is just impossible to read. With words and letters that fly in all directions over the page it was very frustrating to read; so much so, in fact, that there is actually a guide at the end of the books, which reprints the text of each page in usual left-to-right fashion. Of course, flipping to the back after each page is not practical. Finally, I found the blunt message about the power of words to bring peace, love and understanding sappy as well. Tangent: The format made me think of the new Haggadah edited by Jonathan Safran Foer, which I was excited to check out and then so disappointed with - with footnotes and commentary placed perpendicular to the main text, the book is unwieldy under even the best of circumstances, which being at a table full of nice china and ritual items certainly is not.
Middle Grade Fiction
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead. Less intricately plotted than her amazing When You Reach Me, Liar and Spy is still a fun, enjoyable read with a believable narrator in Georges (the "s" is silent). I guessed one of the twists but not the other. A city child myself, I especially like Ms. Stead's depictions of city life in both books. And as a parent, I appreciate the good relationships her protagonists have with theirs. A water tower on top of the building would have made the great cover perfect.
Nerd Camp by Elissa Brent Weissman. Another middle-grade book about identity and fitting in, popular themes for this age group. Gabe, desperate to impress his about-to-be-stepbrother Zach, tries to keep the true nature of his summer camp (it's a gifted enrichment program) a secret. The format, in which lists Gabe makes are interspersed throughout the narrative, is funny and appealing. One side itemizes the cool, non-nerdy things Gabe does (e.g. karaoke); the other lists the nerdy aspects of each (e.g. the song Gabe sang was a list of the countries of the world... in alphabetical order!). Although the themes are addressed overtly, I'm starting to realize that the middle-grade audience may not be quite ready for subtlety... or at least that books which address these themes overtly have a place.
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage. A spunky heroine, quirky Southerners, a small town - this sounds like books you've read before, right? Here the ingredients add up... if not to something new exactly, to something very enjoyable. The lesson that your family is comprised of those you love you, and whom you love, is a nice one. Some heavier themes, including domestic abuse, not to mention kidnapping and murder, make this a book for the older end of the middle-grade audience.
What books have you checked out from the library recently?
Picture Books
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs as retold by Mo Willems. As soon as I got home with this book I handed it to, nope, not my kids, but my husband. I knew he'd appreciate the parodic, absurdist, sarcastic humor. And he did. A few days later I read it to my girls and, not surprisingly, they didn't really get it. It went over my 4-year-old's head completely. My seven-year-old got that there were jokes and got that the sarcastic parts meant exactly their opposites, but didn't understand why that should be funny. This is, in my opinion, one of those picture books that is really meant for grown-ups or older children, both because of the humor and because of the fact that it refers to other literature. Willems has the luxury of being so popular that parents are going to buy this either not realizing that it's not meant for (young) kids or not caring. It is, however, perfect for an older class's unit on fairy tales.
Woof Meow Tweet-Tweet by Cecile Boyer. Another picture book for grown-ups, this time for those interested in design. In each place where you would expect to find a picture of an animal, you find the word that represents the sound the animal makes. The book is beautiful but has no plot, being called halfway through (and rightfully so from a story-oriented perspective) by my 4-year-old, "boring."
Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten! by Hyewon Yum. This book about a boy's first day of kindergarten is really about the truth that the parents are often more anxious about this big day than the new student. But while the concept is sweet, the execution, starting with the title, lacks any subtlety. A nice but not necessary addition to the first-day-of-kindergarten canon.
The Word Collector by Sonja Wimmer. This book is just impossible to read. With words and letters that fly in all directions over the page it was very frustrating to read; so much so, in fact, that there is actually a guide at the end of the books, which reprints the text of each page in usual left-to-right fashion. Of course, flipping to the back after each page is not practical. Finally, I found the blunt message about the power of words to bring peace, love and understanding sappy as well. Tangent: The format made me think of the new Haggadah edited by Jonathan Safran Foer, which I was excited to check out and then so disappointed with - with footnotes and commentary placed perpendicular to the main text, the book is unwieldy under even the best of circumstances, which being at a table full of nice china and ritual items certainly is not.
Middle Grade Fiction
Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead. Less intricately plotted than her amazing When You Reach Me, Liar and Spy is still a fun, enjoyable read with a believable narrator in Georges (the "s" is silent). I guessed one of the twists but not the other. A city child myself, I especially like Ms. Stead's depictions of city life in both books. And as a parent, I appreciate the good relationships her protagonists have with theirs. A water tower on top of the building would have made the great cover perfect.
Nerd Camp by Elissa Brent Weissman. Another middle-grade book about identity and fitting in, popular themes for this age group. Gabe, desperate to impress his about-to-be-stepbrother Zach, tries to keep the true nature of his summer camp (it's a gifted enrichment program) a secret. The format, in which lists Gabe makes are interspersed throughout the narrative, is funny and appealing. One side itemizes the cool, non-nerdy things Gabe does (e.g. karaoke); the other lists the nerdy aspects of each (e.g. the song Gabe sang was a list of the countries of the world... in alphabetical order!). Although the themes are addressed overtly, I'm starting to realize that the middle-grade audience may not be quite ready for subtlety... or at least that books which address these themes overtly have a place.
Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage. A spunky heroine, quirky Southerners, a small town - this sounds like books you've read before, right? Here the ingredients add up... if not to something new exactly, to something very enjoyable. The lesson that your family is comprised of those you love you, and whom you love, is a nice one. Some heavier themes, including domestic abuse, not to mention kidnapping and murder, make this a book for the older end of the middle-grade audience.
What books have you checked out from the library recently?
Friday, July 20, 2012
Priceless
This picture was originally posted by the Grand Forks Public Library on Facebook and it was too good not to share.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Truly Neighborhood Libraries
The Little Free Library has come to Brooklyn! Somehow I imagine it would be a more uphill fight to establish one of these libraries - which consist of a small structure which holds donated books available for lending - in Manhattan, although I'd be happy to be proved wrong. Read all about it here.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Library Round-Up #6
Brief reviews of some of the poetry and picture books we have out from the library right now. My 7-year-old is whipping through chapter books so quickly I can't keep up but maybe soon she'll write her own reviews!
Press Here by Herve Tullet. Worthy of all the buzz it's been getting, this interactive book has readers press and rub dots on the page, shake the book, and perform other acts in order to get the dots to move, multiply, or change in other ways on each successive page. My 4-year-old loved being in on the joke: "You don't really have to press. There's already more dots on the next page but I still like doing it."
Sunflakes: Poems for Children edited by Lillian Moore and illustrated by Jan Ormerod. I picked up this poetry anthology after having read and loved the title poem in a different anthology. I didn't even realize at first that the illustrations are by one of my favorite children's book illustrators! While the title poem, about building sunmen out of sunflakes and other such reversals, by Frank Asch, is probably still my favorite, this compilation captures the essence of childhood and is definitely worth a look, if not a purchase.
The Art of Miss Chew by Patricia Polacco. Another sophisticated autobiographical winner by Patricia Polacco. Perfect for the aspiring artist and the teachers in your life.
All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel by Dan Yaccarino. A lovely story about immigrants, tradition and family and the power of things to convey memories and values.
How Much Is A Million? by David Schwartz. Similar in concept to How Many Jelly Beans? this book explains big numbers by showing how high a tower of a million, billion or trillion children would be, how large a bowl would be needed to hold a million, billion, or trillion goldfish and, perhaps most amusing, how long it would take to count to each number (and which of the counters would be dead, shown by gravestones, by the time the count was complete!). Unlike How Many Jelly Beans? this book doesn't actually show a million, billion or trillion of anything, although it does show 100,000 tiny stars. My 4-year-old is obsessed with both of these big-number books but I prefer this one.
Chloe, Instead by Micah Player. My expectations for this one were so high they were bound to be disappointed and they were. I love the cartoon-y, big-eyed children and the brightly colored illustrations but Chloe turns out to be a rather typical mischievous younger sibling who eats crayons and the like. But the demonstration of how the underlying sibling relationship is a loving one is very sweet.
The Mitten by Jan Brett. A classic retelling of a Ukranian folktale. My girls recognized that it was by the same author-illustrator as that of The Hat right away.
The Honeybee Man by Lela Nargi. Award-winning, yet it didn't grab our attention and I found myself tripping over the words as I read it aloud.
Follow the Line Around the World by Laura Ljungkvist. Not my favorite of the Follow the Line books in terms of the illustrations, but it held my 7-year-old's interest, rare for non-fiction for her.
I Feel Better With A Frog In My Throat: History's Strangest Cures by Carlyn Beccia. After renewing this one from the library 5 or 6 times, I thought we'd never read it. But then my 7-year-old picked it up the other day and was fascinated and loved the multiple choice format. Another non-fiction winner.
My No, No, No Day! by Rebecca Patterson. Adored by my younger daughter, I can't help but think of this as a pale imitation of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day (which is actually one of the results retrieved when you search for the Patterson book on Amazon). However, it has its place as it is definitely geared toward a younger audience than that classic.
Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine. The second book of poems we've read inspired by the famous William Carlos Williams poem, This Is Just to Say. This one struck me as repetitive and required a good deal of background knowledge to get all the allusions. However, I loved the first one we read, This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman, fictional apology poems and responses to them.
Don't Want to Go! by Shirley Hughes. Ms. Hughes always captures the daily minutiae of childhood so perfectly and this book is no different. A young child who doesn't want to go to a family friend's house while her mom has the flu ends the day by not wanting to leave the friend's house. This one doesn't have any of the familiar Hughes characters like Alfie and isn't my absolute favorite of her books (that would be Dogger) but it's still a lovely, relatable story with Ms. Hughes trademark warm, realistic illustrations. I had no idea she was still writing until we found this 2010 work at the library!
What have you been reading from the library?
Press Here by Herve Tullet. Worthy of all the buzz it's been getting, this interactive book has readers press and rub dots on the page, shake the book, and perform other acts in order to get the dots to move, multiply, or change in other ways on each successive page. My 4-year-old loved being in on the joke: "You don't really have to press. There's already more dots on the next page but I still like doing it."
The Art of Miss Chew by Patricia Polacco. Another sophisticated autobiographical winner by Patricia Polacco. Perfect for the aspiring artist and the teachers in your life.
All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel by Dan Yaccarino. A lovely story about immigrants, tradition and family and the power of things to convey memories and values.
How Much Is A Million? by David Schwartz. Similar in concept to How Many Jelly Beans? this book explains big numbers by showing how high a tower of a million, billion or trillion children would be, how large a bowl would be needed to hold a million, billion, or trillion goldfish and, perhaps most amusing, how long it would take to count to each number (and which of the counters would be dead, shown by gravestones, by the time the count was complete!). Unlike How Many Jelly Beans? this book doesn't actually show a million, billion or trillion of anything, although it does show 100,000 tiny stars. My 4-year-old is obsessed with both of these big-number books but I prefer this one.
The Mitten by Jan Brett. A classic retelling of a Ukranian folktale. My girls recognized that it was by the same author-illustrator as that of The Hat right away.
The Honeybee Man by Lela Nargi. Award-winning, yet it didn't grab our attention and I found myself tripping over the words as I read it aloud.
Follow the Line Around the World by Laura Ljungkvist. Not my favorite of the Follow the Line books in terms of the illustrations, but it held my 7-year-old's interest, rare for non-fiction for her.
I Feel Better With A Frog In My Throat: History's Strangest Cures by Carlyn Beccia. After renewing this one from the library 5 or 6 times, I thought we'd never read it. But then my 7-year-old picked it up the other day and was fascinated and loved the multiple choice format. Another non-fiction winner.
My No, No, No Day! by Rebecca Patterson. Adored by my younger daughter, I can't help but think of this as a pale imitation of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day (which is actually one of the results retrieved when you search for the Patterson book on Amazon). However, it has its place as it is definitely geared toward a younger audience than that classic.
Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine. The second book of poems we've read inspired by the famous William Carlos Williams poem, This Is Just to Say. This one struck me as repetitive and required a good deal of background knowledge to get all the allusions. However, I loved the first one we read, This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman, fictional apology poems and responses to them.
Don't Want to Go! by Shirley Hughes. Ms. Hughes always captures the daily minutiae of childhood so perfectly and this book is no different. A young child who doesn't want to go to a family friend's house while her mom has the flu ends the day by not wanting to leave the friend's house. This one doesn't have any of the familiar Hughes characters like Alfie and isn't my absolute favorite of her books (that would be Dogger) but it's still a lovely, relatable story with Ms. Hughes trademark warm, realistic illustrations. I had no idea she was still writing until we found this 2010 work at the library!
What have you been reading from the library?
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Library Loot #17
As you can see, these days we're reading lots of poetry and old favorites, catching up on classics we (I) missed, reading a few new books and reading lots of series.
For the kids: Now that my first grader's reading has really taken off, I had to subdivide these into categories.
To read to both kids:
The one you can't see second from the top is The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. Notice three editions of the same book? Expect to see a post on that sometime soon.
Not pictured: More by I.C. Springman, Days to Celebrate: A Full Year of Poetry, People, Holidays, History, Fascinating Facts and More by Lee Bennett Hopkin.
For the first-grader to read to herself:
The one on top that you can't see is Put Your Eyes Up Here: And Other School Poems by Kalli Dakos.
And one that didn't make it into the photo since it was in use at the time:
Not pictured: More Junie B. Jones books than you can shake a stick at, Ruby Lu, Star of the Show by Lenore Look.
To read to the first grader (possibly):
For the first grader's research project (more on that soon):
For me:
Not pictured: Wonder by R.J. Palaccio and A Patent Lie by Paul Goldstein (a legal thriller involving patent law originally checked out by my patent lawyer husband and read by both of us. I think I enjoyed it more!) and Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field.
What do you have checked out from the library?
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Library Way
I am always discovering new (to me, at least) things in this city and today, while walking from the far east 30s to Times Square, I made a wonderful book-related discovery. My zig-zag path serendipitously took me to Library Way. Embedded into the sidewalk on 41st Street from Park Avenue to 5th Avenue, leading to (or from) the "main" library are sculpted bronze plaques illustrating accompanying quotes about literature, knowledge, information and reading. I forgot to bring my camera, but the link above will take you to images of the plaques. There are so many wonderful quotes and images it is hard to choose a favorite, but the poem by Bohumil Hrabal, a poet I had never heard of, might be mine. Which is yours?
What serendipitous discoveries (book-related or otherwise) have you made in New York?
What serendipitous discoveries (book-related or otherwise) have you made in New York?
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Library Loot #16
For the kids:
Not pictured: Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look, Mostly Monty: First Grader by Johanna Hurwitz (it's currently in my daughter's backpack), Princess Posey and the Next-Door Dog by Stephanie Greene and probably some others I forgot. And yep, the one on the bottom with the spine turned the wrong way is How Many Jelly Beans? by Andrea Menotti. It was too big for my side table to face correctly!
For me:
What do you currently have checked out from the library?
Not pictured: Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look, Mostly Monty: First Grader by Johanna Hurwitz (it's currently in my daughter's backpack), Princess Posey and the Next-Door Dog by Stephanie Greene and probably some others I forgot. And yep, the one on the bottom with the spine turned the wrong way is How Many Jelly Beans? by Andrea Menotti. It was too big for my side table to face correctly!
For me:
What do you currently have checked out from the library?
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Library Loot #15
For the kids:
For me:
It was slim pickings for me this month! I'd been finding that all my library holds would arrive together and I wouldn't be able to finish (or even start) all of them, so I started putting fewer on hold. And this is what I ended up with! I think too many choices is better than too few, so it's back to the original system.
What are you and your kids reading these days?
For me:
It was slim pickings for me this month! I'd been finding that all my library holds would arrive together and I wouldn't be able to finish (or even start) all of them, so I started putting fewer on hold. And this is what I ended up with! I think too many choices is better than too few, so it's back to the original system.
What are you and your kids reading these days?
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