Today's ELCL's Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson with illustrations by Marcellus Hall.

 Farmer and cow are perfect partners, one loves cookies and one loves milk, in this fun read aloud. I love Wilson's clever rhymes and they are well matched with Hall's comical illustrations of farm life.

ELCL's Book of the Day! From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Today's Book of the Day is From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg.

 Claudia and her brother run away and hide at the Metropolitan Museum of Art! Soon they are embroiled in a mystery surrounding an important piece of sculpture loaned to the museum by Mrs. Frankweiler. A must read classic!

Librarian Field Trip! Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Last month I was able to fulfill a life-long dream and visit the Eric Carle Museum. I was visiting my sister in Boston and drove across the state on a sunny, Fall day.   The museum is perfectly set on the campus of Hampshire College, surrounded by farms and gently rolling hills.  The leaves were turning so many beautiful yellows and oranges.  

The lobby walls display large collages in Carle's favorite mediums.  It was very interesting for me to actually see him creating these and talking about his process.  (Mr. Carle was not present, but the introductory film they show, makes you feel like he is!)

While, I was disappointed to miss the Madeline Exhibit by only a few days, I was able to catch the last days of the Harriet the Spy exhibit, featuring letters and original manuscripts of author Louise Fitzhugh.  And staff was busy with preparations for Madeline.  I commented to one, "you must have the best job!"  She agreed.  I tired to not be jealous. 

The art studio for children is amazing. The theme for the day I visited was Paint your Pet, and there were many artists at work.  The room is large and bright, contains a wall of window the sun shines through and contains any kind of art supply an artist could need for a potential masterpiece.  Several staff members were also on hand to offer support and encouragement.  In the entry to the art studio was this beautiful sensory board.  I dream of having a sensory day soon for my babies and toddlers and this board served as great inspiration.  

I can make something similar, right?  Here's hoping.  

The library was a thing of beauty!  I was happy to see so many new books that I had already purchased for my own library.  The floor was dotted with families having their own storytimes and I had to resist the urge to offer one.  It made me happy to see many adults there, clearly the Carle library is well utilized by students and those of us who care about this history of children's literature.  

My visit was completed by a trip to the gift shop, where I did get some gifts and some things for me.  

It was a lovely experience and a great day- what I like to call an artists' day, full of time to learn new things and reflect.  I hope to go back soon.  I only wish it wasn't quite so far away.  If you are in the Amherst/ North Hampton area I encourage you to visit, with or without some kids!  

ELCL's book of the day! Sam & Dave Dig a hole!

Today's book of the day is Sam & Dave Dig a hole by Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen. 
 

 Sam and Dave are in search of "something spectacular" so they decide to dig a hole. Will they find what they are looking for? Great fun for readers by the team who brought us the equally fun Extra Yarn!

ELCL's Book of the Day! Peggy!

Today's book of the day is Peggy: A brave chicken on a big adventure

 by Anna Walker.  Peggy is a hen, content with her quiet life in the country until a big gust of wind carries her to the big city. Now her adventure begins. A fun read aloud! 

ELCL's Book of the Day! How Rocket Learned to Read!

Today's Book of the Day is How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills. 

Rocket is a dog who loves to play. Yellow bird is a teacher who was born to teach! While at the start Rocket is her reluctant student, he soon loves learning and reading! Sweet illustrations complete this lovely story and is a great tribute to all inspirational teachers out there!

ELCL's Book of the Day! The Story of Ferdinand

Today's Book of the Day is The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

 with illustrations by Robert Lawson.

 

First published in 1936, the gentle humor of Ferdinand, the bull who would rather smell flowers than fight, is still relevant today. 

 

Today's ELCL Book of the Day is the Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm

Today's Book of the Day is the Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer Holm. 

 

 

 

 Ellie's world is turned upside down when her mom brings home a snippy, sarcastic teenager named Melvin. Things really get crazy when Ellie realizes Melvin is actually her grandpa- a scientist who has discovered the secrets of age reversal!  Will Ellie help him get back to his lab and protect his secrets?  A well written and funny story about the lengths we will go to for family and the limits and possibilities of science. A great discussion book!

Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo ELCL's Book of the Day

Today's Book of the Day is Lauren Castillo's Nana in the City. 

 The big city can be overwhelming and scary. How great that Nana is right at home with all the sights and sounds. She is the perfect tour guide! A sweet fun story, especially if someone you love lives in a far away and different place.

ELCL's book of the day! Rain Reign

Today's Book of the Day is Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin. 

 Rose Howard lives with her dad and her dog Rain in upstate NY.  Rose suffers from Aspberger's Syndrome, is obsessed with homonyms and loves Rain more than anything. School and dealing with her dad are challenges for Rose, but life with Rain seems to make things better. When a hurricane strikes there small town and Rain is lost, Rose is devastated.  Will she ever be found? This is a beautiful story about families, friends and unconditional love which I am sure will be turning up on the lists of potential Newbery winners!

Today's Book of the Day!

Today's book of the Day is El Deafo by Cece Bell 

A graphic novel memoir El Deafo chronicles Bell's life coping with the hearing loss she developed after an illness at age 4. A sweet, hopeful story in the tradition of Raina Telgemeier's Smile.

ELCL's book of the day!

Today's Book of the Day is Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown! 

Today's Book of the day is Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown. Lucy, a rather bossy bear discovers a lost boy in the woods and she is thrilled. She's always wanted a pet! Lucy discovers the hard way that children make terrible pets! Laugh out loud funny!

ELCL Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is Where are you going? To see my friend!

  A beautiful collaboration between Eric Carle and Kazuo Iwamura!  Told both in English and Japanese, this is a wonderful way to share the concepts of friends and friendship with little ones.  So sweet.  I am rereading all the Carle's in preparation for my upcoming visit to the Eric Carle Museum.  I can't wait! 

ELCL's Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking by Erin Dionne!  

Moxie gets caught up in a mystery involving her beloved Gramps, the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum and some bad guys.  Can she and her friend figure out what's going on before someone gets hurt?  The great city of Boston features prominently in this fun read! 

 

Today's ELCL Book of the Day!

Today's book of the Day is Found by Salina Yoon

 

Bear finds a lost bunny in the woods!  He is certain someone has lost their friend and starts a search to find Bunny's owner.  Soon Bear loves Bunny like his own.  What will he do when Bunny's owner is located?  A very relatable storyline with simple, sweet illustrations!  A storytime favorite. 

 

ELCL's Book of the Day!

Today's book of the Day is Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert O'Brien.

  A wonderful tale with fully realized characters- think loveable mice way before Desperaux! This book won the Newbery Award and has been a favorite of mine since Miss Kohler read it aloud to us in 5th grade.

Today's Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is Leroy Ninker Saddles Up by Kate DiCamillo with illustrations by Chris Van Dusen.

 A great pick for younger readers and a must for fans of Mercy Watson.

ELCL's Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is Chewy Louie by Howie Schneider! 

 Chewy Louie is a story time favorite.  He is a sweet, loveable dog with a chewing problem! 

ELCL's Boook of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is Dr. DeSoto, the classic book by William Steig.

  This Newbery Honor book is a great and comical way to discuss strangers and trust, the dentist and more. 

ELCL's Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day at East Lake Library is Bats in the Library by Brian Lies!

Even Bats love books and a visit to the library.  A fun rhyming tale that evokes a chilly Autumn night.  Enjoy! 

ELCL's Book of the Day

Today's Book of the Day is Emily's Blue Period by Cathleen Daly with lovely illustrations by Lisa Brown!

 

 



 

 

Emily loves Art and the artist Picasso, and is sad over them impending divorce of her parents.  A great way to discuss feelings! 

ELCL's Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is Switched at Birthday by Natalie Standiford.

A great, fun read reminiscent of the classic Freaky Friday! Enjoy the weekend everyone!

ELCL's Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is The Trouble Maker by Lauren Castillo.

Simple text and sweet illustrations tell the story of a little boy causing some trouble for his sister and perhaps a tale of mistaken identity! A great read that led to a great deal of discussion amongst my storytimers!

Today's Book of the Day!

Today's East Lake Community Library Book of the Day is Crankenstein.

Written by Samantha Berger with excellent illustrations by Dan Sanat, Crankenstein is a lot of fun!  Haven't we all had to deal with a Crankenstein? Or better yet, haven't we all been Crankenstein one day or another?  A great way to talk about feelings!  

ELCL's Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is The Magic Hat by the equally magical Mem Fox! 
 This is a great fun read and a story time favorite. 
 

Congratulations!

Malala Yousafzai-

 student, activist, girl, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize!

 

ELCL Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

 by Betty McDonald  

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle lives in an upside down house and smells of cookies.  She also knows everything, especially about children.  Come see what all the fuss is about! 

ELCL's Book of the Day!

Today's Book of the Day is the Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris VanAllsburg. 

 While many folks know VanAllsburg's work from Polar Express and Jumangi, Gasazi is my personal favorite and was a Caldecott Honor!  Do you believe in magic?  Read and find out! 

Great Picture Book Overload!

Our new book display is overflowing with so many good picture books!  Here is just a sampling of what I have loved and love sharing!

Peanut Butter & Jellyfish by Jarrett Krosocka (famous for the Lunch Ladies, but won my heart with Punk Farm)

Seahorse Peanut Butter and his pal Jelly Fish have a great life in the sea, with the exception of their dealings with Crabby, the neighborhood bully.  The guys change his attitude by treating him with kindness.  A great read!  For storytime I would pair this with Selfish Crocodile or Doctor Desoto. 

Silver Button by Bob Graham
 
Many wonderful things happen as Jodie's baby brother takes his first steps.  A sweet story with matching pictures.  A unique concept and a great way to introduce coincidence and the passage of time. 

Locomotive by Brian Floca

This winner of this year's Caldecott Medal and a Sibert Honor, Locomotive does not disappoint.  Illustrator Brian Floca meticulously shows what is was like to travel in the 1860s on the transcontinental railroad.  Detailed information accompanies Floca's trademark precise illustrations. A great book to share with non-fiction readers or truck and train buffs.  In fact, all of Floca's work would appeal to them.  My personal favorite, Lightship. 

Go! Go! Go! Stop! By Charise Mericle Harper

Little Green knows only one word- Go!  He has the construction crew working double time to finish the bridge- Go! Go! Go!  But things are getting crazy!  How will everyone learn to slow down or stop!  This read is great fun and was a big hit in my toddler time! This would be an excellent companion to the books of Steve Light or Byron Barton that are popular with toddlers in the truck and train crowd. 

Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara

From the author/illustrator of Ghosts in the House is this sweet and simple story of a night time library staffed by some helpful owls. Illustrations are linocut and feature one or two colors.  A great addition to the not so scary Halloween collection.  I would even pair this with Library Lion or Bedtime is Canceled at Pajama Stories! 

Tuesday is the Best day!

I love Tuesdays because I have my baby program followed by my toddler program.  They are both super fun and high energy.  I like to keep my programs, especially my toddler program very structured.  We do a lot of rhymes, songs, and finger plays and then I always read at least one book, sometimes two, depending on the  crowd.  It surprises me that parents are very anxious about book reading to babies, worried that if they aren't looking at every picture or looking right at you, something is wrong or they are not ready.  I feel like its never too early to read to your baby.  My mantra is everyone will pay attention, they just won't all do it at the same time. Today, we read some great books!

Mama Cat has three kittens by Denise Fleming an American illustrator who often uses paper college in her bright and lively art and focus on Fleming's love of nature.  Mama Cat has three kittens, Fluffy, Skinny and Boris.  Fluffy and Skinny are obedient and do what ever Mama asks.  Boris on the other hand is a bit of an odd duck, funny and marching to the beat of his own drum.   A simple, sweet story with lots of repetition and many avenues for conversations about cats and their habits, counting and more.  

I Like it When by Mary Murphy Bright primary colors and simple text convey the story of little penguin and her caregiver and how they share time together with chores and fun activities.  I love these books for they simple conversations they start amongst my group.  The ending with a kiss goodnight is sweetly familiar to all. 

It's always a fun day! 

Great New Picture Books

A Library Book for Bear by Bonnie Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton is the newest book about my favorite Bear- Mouse duo.  Bear is grumpy. Mouse is always the optimist. Bear sees no reason to visit the library.  He has all the books he needs at his house. But he did promise Mouse he would go. And of course their trip is delightful!  I think the best was to read any of the books about this duo is in a British accent.  They are perfect for storytime.

 Have you Seen My Dragon? cleverly written and illustrated by Steve Light (of Trains Go fame) is my favorite book this summer.  I am often homesick for NY and Light's beautiful line drawings of NY city life are just the ticket for when I am feeling blue.  Readers help a young boy find his dragon in each spread, as well as, other things to search for (manholes, pigeons, hot dogs).  There is so much to see and admire.  This is a book to read again and again- and each time you'll come away with a different experience.   

Take me out to the ball game!

Smarty Marty's Got Game by Amy Gutierrez

Marty and her brother have tickets to see Marty's favorite team against their biggest, meanest competitors!  Mickey knows very little about baseball, but luckily he is attending the game with Marty, the team's biggest fan and an expert in the ins and outs of baseball- she explains it all and makes Mickey love the game as much as she does. With this book, sports journalist and San Francisco Giants fan, Amy G. explains the sometimes confusing rules of baseball in a fun and easy way and even teaches score keeping.  Baseball is America's past-time but its also a great family tradition.  Colorful and fun illustrations by Adam McCauley are a beautiful finishing touch!

Take Me Out to the Yakyu by Aaron Meshon 

While we commonly think of baseball as the great American pastime, Take me out to the Yakyu nicely demonstrates how baseball transcends both American and Japanese cultures.  Two little boys each attend a game with their grandfather and through them, we see the many differences and similarities of this beloved game in each country.  A great book for a young person interested in Japanese culture. 

A boat load of Picture Books!

There have been a lot of great picture books coming across my desk over that last few months!  

I have been already using some of these in programs, storytime and class visits.  
Here are a few! 

 Have You Seen My New Blue Socks?  Written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier, my favorite new illlustrator! 

The rhyming hunt for Duck's missing socks is very funny and will delight both young and old.  Fortunately there is a happy ending!  

 Hooray for Hat! Written by Brian Won is a great story of friendship.  Elephant wakes up grumpy. Who can't relate to that?  He is quickly cheered up by a hat and wants to share his joy!  Proof that happiness can be contagious! 

Number One Sam by Greg Pizzoli

Sam is number one at being number one.  What happens when he doesn't win?  A great fun story with a sweet resolution!  

 Sparky!  By Jenny Offill

Our narrator wants a pet and her mom agrees, so long as said pet doesn't need to be walked, fed or bathed.  After some research at the local library, our plucky narrator comes home with Sparky, a sloth.  A great story of how someone isn't exactly what you expect them to be.  I would pair this with David LaRochelle's wonderful The Best Pet of All or Peggy Rathmann's award winning Officer Buckle and Gloria. 

smells like teen spirit

One of my favorite parts of being the teen librarian is buying materials for the teen collection.  I have been reading a lot of teen angst lately and I am really enjoying it. 

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban intrigued me because it takes place at a tony boarding school in Westchester County, NY and the author happened to attend a tony boarding school in Westchester County that was not far from my home. 

As school tradition dictates, Duncan arrives for his senior year and receives a package from his room's former resident. Tim MacBeth was an albino and senior year transfer.  Tim has left Duncan a series of cd's that explain in great detail what occurred during Tim's senior year at the Irving School, in particular how the traditional senior prank went very wrong, Tim's love for Vanessa, a bright, popular girl and the girlfriend of the most popular boy on campus.  It's a story within a story- with Tim and Duncan alternating the storytelling.  Tying everything together is the Tragedy Paper, the lengthy and weighty senior project Duncan needs to complete to graduate.  This was an engrossing and quick read. Full of love triangles, rivalries and plenty of teen angst. 

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott is a quick read but a story that stayed with me for a long while. Emma is reeling from tragedy.  Her mother is brain dead but being kept alive by Emma's step-father because she is pregnant and the baby is still viable.  Emma is devastated over the death of her mother and irate at her once beloved step-father who prolonging the agony of her mother's death.  Emma feels he is selfish and cruel and this makes their living situation unbearable.  At the hospital Emma runs into Caleb, the local high school bad boy working off his community service hours. Emma's problems at home and developing friendship with Caleb, drives a wedge between Emma and her bestie, Olivia. Since he is aware of her mom's condition, Caleb is one of the few people from Emma's school life who understands her sadness.  As their friendship and eventual romance develops, Emma learns that Caleb too, has experienced tragedy and is hurting and misunderstood.  Emma and Caleb are real and their emotions are right on the surface.  A sad but wonderful book.  

      

New Picture Books

I am always on the search for some new fun picture books, for the collection, for story time or for outreach.  Here are some that I have been getting a lot of use out of lately.

Maple, the debut of author Lori Nichols is a sweet and lovely portrait of a fun-loving, free-spirited girl.  Maple's parents plant a tree in her honor when she is born.  As they both grow, Maple looks on her tree as a friend, seeking her in happy times and sad times.  A great story!

With Paul meets Bernadette, author/illustrator Rosy Lamb gives us Paul, a goldfish whose life is a rather hum-drum existence until, of course, Bernadette moves in to the bowl!  Bernadette and her exciting take on everything shows Paul a whole new world right outside his bowl.

Found, by author/illustrator Salina Yoon is a wonderful story about lost objects and found love.  Bear finds a lost toy Bunny in the woods.  He feels terrible that somebody may have lost their favorite toy and he is determined to reunite them.  While Bear posts flyers and searches for Bunny's owner, he finds himself growing attached.  What will he do when Bunny's owner is found?  So sweet. 

In Sophie's Squash, written Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf, Sophie finds a unique friend at the farm market, a squash she names Bernice.  Sophie discovers the many joys of friendship as well as the many pitfalls of befriending a vegetable.  A sweet and funny story that had me laughing out loud.