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We’re back with the second installment of On Hold @ the Library, my humble attempt to bring you the books that kids are asking for. Each month I vow to show you photographic evidence of the hold shelf at one of the school libraries where I work. Last month we looked at the 5th and 6th grade picks, so it’s time to switch things up. This month our hold shelf is from my K-4th grade school:
Picky Mrs. Pickle by Christine M. Schneider. I didn’t expect to see this one. It’s not the first picture book I would expect to see on hold. I like it when these lower-profile titles pop up.
Out From Boneville (Bone #1) by Jeff Smith. The Great Cow Race (Bone #2) by Jeff Smith. I cannot say I’m surprised to see these. I’ve mentioned in a previous post on graphic novels that the Bone series should be in the school library starter pack. Kids really can’t get enough of these.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Luceno. Never underestimate the power of the cinema. I added this one by student request and it’s been checked out ever since.
Ribsy by Beverly Cleary. I’m happy to see this on the hold shelf. Earlier this year I weeded a bunch of rough-looking Beverly Cleary titles and purchased updated versions. Good to see that these classics are making the rounds.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. Huh. This one just showed up on ALA’s list of the most frequently challenged books of 2008 and kids aren’t fleeing in fear? All of the Scary Stories titles are hold shelf regulars.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. No explanation necessary.
Look for more books on hold next month.
When I started this rambling mess of a blog back in the golden days of ’07 I had a strict “No Pets” policy. The problem? I didn’t, and still don’t, have any pets. Really, the “No Pets” decree was just a promise to myself that I would only post items directly related to children’s lit. There are all kinds of other things that I would like to share, but I promised to show restraint.
While some of these items sneak into 100 Scope Notes, I think that on the whole I’ve kept my love of Teen Wolf, ping pong, and the fact that they should have made a Teen Wolf sequel where Scott Howard plays ping pong, in check.
So stop me if this appears to be in direct violation of my “No Pets” policy, but I had an album cover to share from one of my favorite bands, Camera Obscura. It’s a cover that I just discovered today (from a single they released in July 2004), and one that the bookish masses will no doubt find of interest:
Man, would I like to have more information on this.
While we have a difference of opinion regarding nonfiction, any band that starts an album with the line, “Spent a week in a dusty library”, (as Camera Obscura did on their latest release) is doing things right in my opinion.
I had heard about feral (see: wild) cats before last spring, but I didn’t take much notice until I discovered a pack of them living in my backyard. Nowadays, if you’re talking feral (approximate percentage of the population who are “talking feral”: 0.01%), I’m all ears. Indeed, subjects take on new meaning when there is a personal connection. Banking on this truism, Dinosaurs in Your Backyard sets out to school readers on the dinos that once roamed close to home, in the United States. Not a universal source for all things prehistoric and reptilian, Dinosaurs in Your Backyard successfully narrows the focus.
The first thing readers need to realize is that the United States of America (or the land on which it would one day stand) looked quite different 70 million years ago. This difference is described up front, establishing the context for the dinosaur details that follow. Each two-page spread tackles a different group of dino, beginning with Tyrannosaurs and continuing through ocean dwellers, duckbills, horned dinos, and points in between. The book concludes with more big-picture information, with sections dedicated to dinosaur extinction, a nice timeline , glossary, and recommended reading guide.
The information presented is solid, making this title worthwhile for student reports and general fact-finding. The absence of a table of contents is a slight hitch, but not a major blow to its usefulness.
Barnard does well in creating illustrations that are visually interesting, but occasionally a stiffness creeps in. I realized while reading that the illustrations in nonfiction dinosaur books never seem to really wow me. I’m not sure if it’s the artist’s focus on making the depictions as accurate as possible, but the stiffness I mentioned is a fairly common trait among books in this category.
By keeping things local, Dinosaurs in Your Backyard will make a nice addition to your dino section and will work well for pleasure reading. Now if they would just come out with Feral Cats in Your Backyard, I’d be all set.
Check out the Nonfiction Monday roundup at SimplyScience Blog.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
Artist M.S. Corley, he who likes giving the retro Penguin Classic treatment to popular children’s book covers (as evidenced by his recent Harry Potter reworkings), is at it again. This time Mr. Corley sets his sights on Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. While these covers will not be on shelves (which is probably a good thing – they have way more retro adult appeal than kid allure), they’re fun to look at nonetheless. Click here to view all the covers.
While I feel the whole “Dark Side” headline is a bit misleading, this Newsweek article does provide a peek into Eric Carle’s not-always-sunny background. Click below to read:
Reporting (and I use that term very loosely) on the most challenged books is like reporting the contents of my lunch bag – ain’t much changing. The American Library Association recently released their annual challenged books list, and there are a lot of familiar faces. Let’s take a look at the top five:
- And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group - His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, violence - TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group - Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, violence - Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, violence
And Tango Makes Three has been a challenged mainstay since it was first published in 2005. With the national debate over gay rights not likely to go away anytime soon, expect to see this one near the top for a while. His Dark Materials shot up last year’s list largely due to the release of the film version of The Golden Compass, which caused a stir in some religious circles. The Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz has been getting people’s ire up for years. The TTYL series has climbed to the #3 slot, from #7 last year. I’m guessing this is due to new books being added to the series (there’s so much more to dislike!). The lone top five surprise is Bless Me, Ultima, which did not appear on any of the most frequently challenged lists dating back to 1991.
Want to see the rest of the top 10? Click here to visit the ALA website.
School Library Journal also published an article about 2008′s most frequently challenged books.
(Top Image: ‘Against Banned Books (Please Spread This Pic+&+The+Text)‘
www.flickr.com/photos/77512700@N00/44227093)
To see a children’s book author in the pocket is a beautiful thing. I think you know what I mean. The creativity and talent are flowing, making each release a cause for excitement. Jan Thomas (The Doghouse) and Emily Gravett (Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears) are recent examples of this “hitting on all cylinders” momentum. Well, make the necessary preparations, because Amy Krouse Rosenthal may soon be joining these ranks. Following the winning Little Pea and Little Hoot, Duck! Rabbit! does pretty much everything right. There’s plenty to like here, and young readers will definitely notice.
The story is simple, yet unique. A white rabbit is presented in profile, with long ears trailing behind. No wait, it’s a duck with with a … large bill? Herein lies the premise – it’s impossible to identify the animal. Two unnamed, off-page characters, each with their own assessment of the duck vs. rabbit debate voice their opinions.
Are you kidding me? It’s totally a duck.
It’s for sure a rabbit.
While the discussion rages, the duck/rabbit casually goes about it’s business. Eventually, the arguing scares the animal off, leaving the reader to decide the final verdict. But worry not, because a new hard to identify animal appears to rekindle the debate.
While the unseen opponents don’t speak directly to the audience, readers will be pulled into the story nonetheless. Everyone will choose their side – be it duck or be it rabbit. The overall effect is that of the reader being given a voice in the story itself.
Lichtenheld’s artwork is a mix of bold and gentle. A mix of ink, watercolor, and colored pencil, thick black outlines make the duck/rabbit stand out, while the backgrounds contain a minimum of objects, eliminating distractions from the story.
Having created a series of quality titles, Duck! Rabbit! fits right into Rosenthal’s first-rate portfolio. A clever premise, well executed. This one is a must purchase.
Watch the very well-done Duck! Rabbit! book trailer:
Also reviewed by Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast (which is where I found the above spread), Young Readers, Three Silly Chicks, A Year of Reading.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
(Waving a rickety old cane in the air) I’m not naming any names, but it appears that the author of this here web log thinks it’s pretty fascinatin’ when he finds two book covers that resemble each other, as if he just invented the latest in automatic garment laundering devices! Well dust jacket contention is nothing new, friends. Allow me the honor of showing you what I mean. Here are a couple covers previously presented in one of them dreadful “Unfortunate Covers” features:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
And now the similar one:
The Kipling Reader by Rudyard Kipling.
These all have what the artistic types call “perspective” going on. Don’t let the author of this web log fool you – there is nothing new under the sun, folks. Also, the original Beverly Hills 90210 is far superior to the new version.
So here’s the question: How do you feel about a raucous storytime? Are you pro or con? Cause that’s what you’re going to have if you pull this one out during read-aloud. There are children’s books that work well when shared, then you have books like Chicken Butt, that are created for group settings. Say goodbye to the “fouth wall” – readers are invited into the story from page one. While the central joke isn’t new, this winning combination of humor and the element of surprise will make for a memorable read aloud.
When the title of a book is chicken butt, you can imagine where things are going. After a lost chicken follows a brown-haired boy home, he decides to spring that age old question, “You know what?”, upon his unsuspecting father, who responds with a simple, “What?” The answer (“Chicken butt!”) comes when the page is turned, with the chicken providing a visual aid. A series of similar question-and-answer exchanges ensue, with a range of fowl anatomy (thigh, eyebrow, etc.) brought into the mix. The father eventually grows weary of this game and wants to put an end to it. But the boy, using all his powers of persuasion, gets his dad to answer one last question – the answer to which will be a sure-fire crowd pleaser.
If you’ve read Leslie Helakoski’s Big Chickens than you’re familiar with Henry Cole. Loose and expressive, Cole’s illustrations set the right mood for this sort of story.
Really, this is less of a review than it is a question. Are you ready for the sort of rip-roaring storytime that this book promises? While adults (like the one in the book) may not be thrilled with the premise of Chicken Butt, kids will be unquestionably sold.
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat.
