A list of my favorite kids books, young adult books, adult books, and graphic novels that I read this year:
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Halloween is a great time to tell and share spooky stories. The library has many Halloween books and movies. Check them out today!
Click here to see Kids Halloween Books & Movies in the library catalog!
On Monday, January 18, the 2010 Newbery and Caldecott Award winners will be announced! The winners will be posted on the ALA website and on the wbbookwoms blog! Come to the library to check out our Newbery and Caldecot display!
“The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” (www.ALA.org)
“The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.”(www.ALA.org)
Miss Kristin’s Newbery and Caldecott Award Picks:
If I could choose the 2010 Newbery and Caldecot Award winners, these would be my selections. What would you choose?
Newbery Award: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
J FIC STE
(ages 9-14)
- I absolutely loved this book! This story follows a girl named Miranda as she learns about friendship, family, and time travel while receiving mysterious messages. Throughout the book there are many details that don’t seem significant until they are all tied together at the end. Fans of Madeline L’Engle will enjoy the references to A Wrinkle in Time. This is a great read for lovers of realistic fiction, science fiction, and mystery books.
Caldecott Award: Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins
J 591.779 JEN
(ages 4-8)
-Down, Down, Down takes its readers deep into the depths of the ocean. Seve Jenkins’ books are both beautifully illustrated and informative. Each creature in this book has its name next to it and there are diagrams with more information about each level of the ocean in the back of the book. Each page represents a level of the ocean, with a scale to show how deep the levels are from the ocean surface to the ocean floor. The illustrations are constructed in a beautiful paper collage style, but are also realistic. I found this book to be fascinating and loved how the reader could use the scale to better understand the life found in the various depths of the sea. This is a great read for kids who love nonfiction and Eyewitness books.
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart follows four children, Reynie, Constance, Kate, and Sticky through mysterious adventures involving puzzles, tests, and challenges. Each of the children have special talents and unique problem solving skills. Although they are very different from each other, the children learn to work together as the Mysterious Benedict Society.
This is a great book for boys and girls ages 7-10.
You can find this book and the sequel The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey at the library in the Juvenile section under J FIC STE.
Check our library catalog to see if it’s available.
Visit the Mysterious Benedict Society Website
Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
Love that Dog is the story of a boy named Jack who struggles with poetry in school. Through exploring and mimicking other poets’ styles, Jack learns to express himself and cope with the loss of his dog, Skye. This is an excellent book to encourage a child to write poetry.
“I guess it does
look like a poem
when you see it
typed up
like that.”
Reading level: 9-12 yrs
Call number: J FIC CRE
DINOSAUR VS. BEDTIME! by Bob Shea
Watch Dinosaur as he fights and conquers a pile of leaves, spaghetti, the slide, talking grown-ups, and more! Dinosaur always wins! Then, Dinosaur meets his match with the most challenging opponent….bedtime! Will he win?
Dinosaur vs. Bedtime has fun and bright illustrations that also incorporate photography. The simple vocabulary along with many dinosaur “roaaars” and exclamation points makes this an excellent book to read out loud. It is a great bedtime book that I would highly recommend. “Roaaaar!”
Interest Level: 2- 6
Reading Level: 4-6
This book can be found in the children’s library under E SHE
Woolbur
written by Leslie Helakoski, Illustrated by Lee Harper.
My pick this week is a great story about a little sheep named Woolbur who doesn’t follow the flock. He is a free spirit who does things a little differently than the other sheep. His unique attitude makes his parents worry and his teachers angry, but in the end, his individuality makes him a leader rather than an outsider. This is a great book to help children understand that we all have differences that make us who we are and stand out from the rest of the flock.
Interest Level: Lower Grades (K-3)
Reading level: 2nd Grade
This book can be found in the children’s library under: E HEL
