Beyond Boundaries

Let’s Hear it for Poetry!

April 29, 2012
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ShareCOWBOYS by David L. Harrison and illustrated by Dan Burr, give readers a close look at the tough experience of being a cowboy on the long cattle drives from Texas to Kansas. We follow a variety of wranglers from bunk house to “big-city”Abilene. Starting in 1866, over 40,000 cowpunchers signed on to ride cattle-drive trails, [...]

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IBBY : Hans Christian Anderson Awards

April 17, 2012
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ShareHans Christian Andersen, yes, we love the stories he gave us. Their universal themes of compassion and tolerance are as relevant today as ever.   In his honor, the highest international recognition given to authors and illustrators of children’s books are the Hans Christian Andersen Awards.  IBBY presents the Hans Christian Andersen Awards to a living [...]

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Mystery Meets Nonfiction

March 21, 2012
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ShareReading nonfiction (information) books is a different type of mystery and journey of discovery.  When I was a child, learning about the world was my favorite type of discovery, especially about animals. Suzi Eszterhas, as both author and photographer, has created a charming set of books – one about gorillas and the other about cheetahs, [...]

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Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match: Pura Belpré Honor

February 21, 2012
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Share Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald no combina written by Monica Brown, illustrated by Sara Palacios received a Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor Award given to Latinos whose books portray the Latino cultural experience. Monica was a ReaderKidZ guest author in November. You can read about why and how Monica wrote Marisol McDonald HERE. Congratulations, Sara [...]

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A Blue Chimpanzee and a Scrumptious Cake!

February 19, 2012
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ShareDon’t bring your blue chimpanzee to school, even if his name is Dodger, and even if he isn’t entirely real. Dodger is Willie’s best friend. Dodger tags along with Willie wherever he goes. The two of them share trouble, adventures, and baseball. If you don’t believe me, read DODGER AND ME by Jordan Sonnenblick (a [...]

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Queens and Castles

January 29, 2012
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ShareWe can count on Chris Van Allsburg to take us on a strange journey. In QUEEN OF THE FALLS, written and illustrated by Allsburg, published by Houghton Mifflin, 2011, we are not disappointed. This book is based on the true story of a 62-year-old teacher, Annie Taylor, who was the first person to plunge over [...]

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Flights of Adventure

January 17, 2012
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ShareTales of fantasy and adventure ignite the imagination. The following books take us from Denmark to India and then on to Russia.  We re-see stories through several sets of eyes:  illustrations vary but the love of adventure remains universal. THE FLIGHT OF THE MERMAID with art by Bhajju Shyam text by Gita Wolf and Sirish Rao. [...]

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