Thursday, March 3, 2011

New Children's Books

Underground - Shane W. Evans
An introduction to the Underground Railroad, narrated by a group of slaves.


Little White Rabbit - Kevin Henkes
As he hops along a little rabbit wonders what it would be like to be green as grass, tall as fir trees, hard as rocks, and flutter like butterflies.


Emma Dilemma: Big Sister Poems - Kristine O'Connell George
Emma is Jess's little sister ... and her dilemma. How can one small girl be sweet, funny, imaginative, playful, and affectionate as well as a clinging vine, brat, tattletale, and nuisance-all at the same time? Why is Jess supposed to be a good big sister while Emma doesn't have to be a good little sister? The highlights and low points of this sibling relationship are insightfully evoked in short and simple poems, some funny, some touching, and all resonant with emotional truth. Every child with a younger sibling will recognize Jess's dilemma and the combination of ambivalence and deep loyalty that is built into the sibling relationship.


Bedtime for Bear - Brett Helquist
Just after the first snowfall, Bear is ready to go to sleep until spring but his friends encourage him to spend one last day playing with them.


Roots and Blues: A Celebration - Arnold Adoff
Lyrical text explores how Blues have been part of everyday life throughout history, from its origins in the sounds of the earth, through slaves' voices singing of freedom, to today's greatest performers--and listeners.


I Must Have Bobo! - Eileen Rosenthal
When Willy wakes up without his favorite toy, he looks everywhere until he finds it.


Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku - Lee Wardlaw
A cat arrives at a shelter, arranges to go home with a good family, and settles in with them, all the while letting them know who is boss and, finally, sharing his real name.


On Parade: The Hidden World of Animals in Entertainment - Rob Laidlaw
The author gives readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the backstage lives of animals in the entertainment industry. He examines troublesome issues, including animal training practices, their living conditions, and their lives after the curtain comes down.


Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart - Candace Fleming
Tells the story of Amelia Earhart's life - as a child, a woman, and a pilot - and describes the search for her missing plane.


Hear My Prayer - Lee Bennett Hopkins
Contains twelve original prayers for beginning readers that gives young readers and their families a chance to celebrate the simple but important things in life.


Journey Into the Deep - Rebecca L. Johnson
Presents new animals discovered during a ten year project of documenting sea life, describing new species of such creatures as jellyfish, octopuses, squids, sea worms, and crabs, found along coral reefs, ocean mountain ranges, and in the dark zone.  Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Honor


Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age - Cheryl Bardoe
Provides information about the mammoths and mastodons that roamed the Earth for millions of years.  Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Honor


Night Flight: Amelia Earhart Crosses the Atlantic - Robert Burleigh
An account of Amelia Earhart's dangerous 1932 flight across the Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to Ireland, in which she survived bad weather and a malfunctioning airplane. Includes a brief biography of the aviator.


The Unforgettable Season: The Story of Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and the Record-Setting Summer of '41 - Phil Bildner
Illustrations and text describe the 1941 baseball season, in which Red Sox players Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams set hitting records.


Running with the Horses - Alison Lester
Nina is determined to save the horses at the famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna during the war.


How the Sphinx Got to the Museum - Jessie Hartland
Inside New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the sphinx of the Pharaoh Hatshepsut holds court. But how did this ancient artifact get to the museum?.

New Book by Cedarville Grad

Nine Things Nathan Noticed at Night - Christy Baldwin
This book discusses nine great things that happen when the sun sets for the evening. Written from a Christian perspective, the story describes how God made things when He created the earth.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

New Teaching Aids

Cross Section Head Model
Cross section foam model of the human head that illustrates the organs and structures of the head, including the brain, pituitary gland, skull, nasal bone, nasal cavity, tongue, spinal cord, pharynx, esophagus, ear, eye, sinus cavity, teeth, etc. Activity guide included.

Cross Section Flower Model
Cross section foam model of a tulip, illustrating the various parts of a plant, including the stamen, petal, sepal, leaf, stem, and roots. Activity guide included.


Alphabet Photo Cards
Includes 150 double-sided write-and-wipe cards illustratin common words from A to Z. Activity guide included.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

New YA Award Books

Nothing - Janne Teller
When thirteen-year-old Pierre Anthon leaves school to sit in a plum tree and train for becoming part of nothing, his seventh grade classmates set out on a desperate quest for the meaning of life.  Mildred L. Batchelder Honor, Michael L. Printz Honor


Departure Time - Truus Matti
A tale of a girl in two stories, one involving a fox and rat, the other involving her constantly-traveling father.  Mildred L. Batchelder Honor


The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba - Margarita Engle
Draws on little-known Cuban history to tell a stirring story in poetry. Based on the diaries and letters of Swedish suffragist Fredrika Bremer, who spent three months in Cuba in 1851, the story focuses on oppressed women, the privileged as well as the enslaved, in three alternating free-verse narratives.  Pura Belpre Author Honor


Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing - Ann Angel
This book examines the life and musical career of Janis Joplin.  YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults



New YA Books

Looks at how U.S. presidents from Wilson to George W. Bush have suspended or revoked guaranteed freedoms in the country during times of war, and includes first-person stories and illustrations.


Draw the Dark - Ilsa J. Bick
Seventeen-year-old Christian Cage lives with his uncle in Winter, Wisconsin, where his nightmares, visions, and strange paintings draw him into a mystery involving German prisoners of war, a mysterious corpse, and Winter's last surviving Jew.


Going Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands - Cathryn Berger Kaye
Teaches young people about the Earth's water crisis and provides practical suggestions on how readers can identify water-related needs in the community and transform their ideas into action.


Father of Lies - Ann Turner
In 1692 when a plague of accusations descends on Salem Village in Massachusetts and "witch fever" erupts, fourteen-year-old Lidda, who has begun to experience visions and hear voices, tries to expose the lies of the witch trials without being hanged as a witch herself. Includes author's notes about the Salem Witch Trials and bipolar disease.


A True Princess - Diane Zahler
Twelve-year-old Lilia goes north to seek the family she has never known, accompanied by her friends Kai and Karina and their dog Ove, on an adventure fraught with peril, especially when they become lost in Bitra Forest, the Elf King's domain. Inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen tale, The princess and the pea.

New Children's Books/Award Books

No - Claudia Rueda
It's winter and little bear doesn't want to go to sleep. He'd rather play, and he's sure he won't get cold outside, no matter how long the winter is, how deep the snow might get, or how hard the storm might blow. Until, that is, little bear finds himself all alone in a snowstorm.

Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin - Duncan Tonatiuh
Two cousins, one in Mexico and one in New York City, write to each other and learn that even though their daily lives differ, at heart the boys are very similar.


Now It Is Summer - Eileen Spinelli
A young mouse is encouraged by his mother to enjoy summer while waiting for autumn to come.


Insect Detective - Steve Voake
An enticing, fact-filled invitation to explore the world of insects. Includes hands-on activities.


Hide and Squeak - Heather Vogel Frederick
A mouse baby leads his father on a merry game of hide-and-squeak at bedtime.


The Secret River - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
A young girl takes her dog to a river in a forest, where she catches enough fish to feed her neighbors, even after giving some to forest creatures she meets on the way home.


Dizzy Dinosaurs: Silly Dino Poems - Lee Bennett Hopkins
Collects humorous poems about dinosaurs, both real and fictional, including the muddy Triceratops, the pilot Pterodactyl, and the dancing Sauropods.


The Greatest Sheep in History - Frances Watts
Ten-year-old superhero-in-training Ernie and his sidekick Maud are thrilled to be attending the National Superheroes Conference, but when the meeting is disrupted by Chicken George--the most terrifying and villainous chicken anyone has ever seen--Ernie knows it will take more than just an ordinary superhero to save the day.


¡Olé! Flamenco - George Ancona
Photo-essay about Flamenco, a southern Spanish art form that incorporates song, dance, and music, tracing its cultural history and focusing on a contemporary young girl and her brother as they learn the traditional style of movement and instrument playing. Includes a glossary/pronunciation guide and author's sources.

Friday, February 25, 2011

New Children's Books

Fiesta Babies - Carmen Tafolla
Babies enjoy the colorful fiesta with singing, dancing, hugs, and kisses.  Pura Belpre Illustrator Award Honor

Vincent van Gogh and the Colors of the Wind - Chiara Lossani
Inspired by letters that Vincent wrote to Theo, his closest friend and constant encourager, the text of Vincent van Gogh and the Colors of the Wind is vibrantly illustrated in a style that recalls the paintings of the artist himself. The book also includes fourteen reproductions of van Gogh's actual paintings. This lyrical story provides a thoughtful and fresh look at the life of one of the world's most famous artists.

Little Croc's Purse - Lizzie Finlay


When Little Croc and his friends find a purse filled with money, they must decide whether to spend the money or turn in the purse.

New Puppets

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing











Groundhog Hand Puppet








Brown Bear Hand Puppet










Frog Prince Puppet








Tadpole/Frog Reversible Hand Puppet






Rattlesnake Puppet






African Wildlife Finger Puppet Play Set






Cobra Hand Puppet









 
Zebra Stage Puppet

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

New Children's and Young Adult Books

How the Weather Works - Christiane Dorion
Tackling both normal and extreme scenarios, this is an entertaining and enlightening exploration of the world's weather. With bright, friendly illustrations, plus pop-ups, pull-tabs, and booklets, this interactive book stimulates learning and encourages children to think about how humans can influence the Earth's climate.

U.S. Military Deployment
Contains fourteen essays that examine issues associated with United States Military deployments, discussing the expansion of the US Military's presence throughout the world, whether US Military presence inspires resentment in occupied nations, the US Military intervention in the Middle East, and related topics.

You Just Can't Help It! - Jeff Szpirglas

Your guide to the wild and wacky world of human behavior.

New Holiday Books

My Valentine for Jesus - Laurie Lazzaro Knowlton
A child shares his love with his family, but saves his most special valentine for Jesus.

The Story of Valentine's Day - Nancy J. Skarmeas
Simple text explains the traditions of Valentine's Day and the story of the saint for whom it is named.



The Story of the Leprechaun - Katherine Tegen
A clever leprechaun who has amassed a pot of gold by making beautiful shoes for people decides to hide his money at the end of a rainbow, knowing that no one will find it there.

Friday, February 4, 2011

New Children's Books

Jesus: His Life in Verses from the King James Holy Bible - Gennady Spirin
Gennady Spirin created one original, spectacular oil painting to illustrate thirteen principal events in the life of Jesus. The painting has been lifted and reproduced to illustrate this book's Biblical text.

Mirror - Jeannie Baker
In Sydney, Australia, and in Morocco, two boys and their families have a day of shopping. Readers are invited to compare illustrations in two wordless stories that are intended to be read one from left to right and the other from right to left.

New YA Books

A Time of Miracles - Anne-LaureBondoux
In the early 1990s, a boy with a mysterious past and the woman who cares for him endure a five-year journey across the war-torn Caucasus and Europe, weathering hardships and welcoming unforgettable encounters with other refugees searching for a better life.  Mildred L. Batchelder Award

Death Cloud - Andrew Lane
 In 1868, with his army officer father suddenly posted to India, and his mother mysteriously "unwell," fourteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes is sent to stay with his eccentric uncle and aunt in their vast house in Hampshire, where he uncovers his first murder and a diabolical villain.