THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE and LUCKY by Holly Schindler Auggie lives with her grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town. Auggie is labeled by some as a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Auggie and Gus may not have much money but Auggie has plenty of spirit and imagination. Where others… Read more »
February 2014
The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker
Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson (Chronicle Books, 2014) Josephine is not your usual picture book. Nor is her story the typical subject matter of a children’s biography. And yet, Josephine will dazzle readers. This extraordinary book chronicles Josephine Baker’s life from her birth in “honky-tonk town… Read more »
Doll Bones by Holly Black
Newbery Honor winning Doll Bones, written by Holly Black, is one of the finest action/adventure/ghost stories for the younger set ever written. In it, twelve-year-old, well-rounded, basketball-playing Zach Barlow and his close friends Poppy and Alice engage in great imaginative games of devilment and intrigue, games that his absentee father interprets as childish and immature…. Read more »
LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WE CAN HELP PROTECT MOUNTAIN GORILLAS
We Can Help Protect MOUNTAIN GORILLAS, written by Gabriella Francine with Solara Vayanian (Let’s Make a Difference series, Big Blue Marble Books) Want to read about a real-life adventure that takes you to the Virunga Mountains of central Africa? Do you love animals? How about gorillas? Want to learn about these gentle giants and perhaps… Read more »
Librarian’s Corner: Exciting Mystery & Adventure Picks
During the bleak, grey days of February, nothing is better than curling up with an enticing adventure/mystery book. The qualifications for a great mystery/adventure book are simple to describe but crazy difficult to create. First, it must be exciting and fast-paced. Second, the quickly moving plot must not exist at the expense of or detract… Read more »
Librarian’s Corner: Books to Excite Reluctant Readers
Our guest, Janet Wanamaker, is a Reading Specialist in Wisconsin who works with struggling readers: In my work with children who struggle to learn to read, a book has to engage the reader. I was fortunate to experience the moment when a child who had struggled for years was matched with a break-through book. To… Read more »
Meet Illustrator, London Ladd!
London Ladd grew up loving comic books in Syracuse, New York. He started drawing in his teens and his first big break came when he was asked to illustrate the book March On! The Day my Brother Martin Changed the World (Scholastic) written by Christine King Farris, sister of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We’re… Read more »
