January is National Soup Month

The Cat Who Liked Potato Soup
by Terry Farish and illustrated by Barry Root

An old man and his cat live together, and even though he does not show it, the old man likes his cat. The old man lives on Chatterpie road, which is named for all of the blackbirds that perch there. The cat would not eat the birds, but she like his potato soup, which made him like her more. When they would go fishing together, the cat would sit at the front of the boat. One winter day, the old man brought home an electric blanket. The cat really liked to lay on the blanket, and she even had the old man bring her soup to her. The next morning, the cat would not go fishing with him. When she woke up, the cat noticed that the man had left. He had never left her before. She leaves the house through a window. When the old man comes back, he cannot find the cat anywhere. He realizes that he misses having her around. Will the cat come back?
















Surprise Soup
by Mary Ann Rodman and illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Their mother is in the hospital and will be home that night with the new baby. Daddy is in charge of making dinner, and little Kevie decides that they should make Saturday Soup for their family. Kevie, his older brother, Josh, and their dad gather ingredients for the soup. Kevie tries to help, but he opens all the different cans of beans that they have. Their dad decides to add them to the soup. Working together, though, they finally get all of the ingredients mixed in and cooking. The soup smells really good, but Josh and Dad say that it is missing something. Kevie tells them that it is sugar, but they do not listen to him. He tells them again, and they finally decide to add sugar to the soup. Will the soup taste good after they add the “secret” ingredient? Did Kevie’s mother have a little boy or girl?

Hammer Soup
by Ingrid and Dieter Schubert

Kate keeps her house clean and her garden weeded, and she does not like to share her vegetables. Then one morning she hears a banging sound. When she looks out, she sees a giant man building a strange looking house. Bruce invites her to have some dandelion tea, but she does not want any. She decided to fence in her garden. Bruce just goes fishing, while Kate works hard. He sometimes leaves surprises (like fish) outside her door for her, though. She continues to work hard gathering apples, but Bruce puts things off until tomorrow. In the winter, Kate’s house is warm, but Bruce’s house is cold and drafty. Then suddenly, a strong wind blows and destroys Bruce’s house. Kate decides to let him stay with her, but she does not want him to eat up all of her food. He tells her about Hammer Soup, and they decide to make it. He talks her into adding sausage and some vegetables. Will she put her food into the soup? Will they both enjoy the soup that they create with the hammer? What will they do about Bruce’s house?

Duck Soup
by Jackie Urbanovic

Max enjoys making different kinds of soup. He had made Fish Soup with Curry and Pickled Lemon, Squash Gumbo, and Cracker Barrel Cheese and Marshmallow Soup. All of these soups, though, had been created by others, and Max wanted to create his own recipe for soup. As he tries his soup, he knows it is missing something. Then he decides that it is missing chives, and he goes out to his garden to get some. After he leaves, his friends Brody, Dakota, and Bebe come to see him. They decide to try the soup, and they see that one of Max’s feathers is floating in the soup. Thinking that Max fell in the soup, his friends try to get him out. Will they be able to find him before they ruin his soup? Do you think that his soup will turn out okay?

Deep-Space Disco
by Erik Craddock

This graphic novel has spaceships, robots, and mistaken identity. One day while Stone Rabbit is playing a game with his friends, a shape shifter named Melvin takes his place and sends him off into space. There he is caught by intergalactic enforcers and faces the crimes that Melvin had committed. When he is found guilty, he is sentenced to a place where robots try to destroy him. Meanwhile, Stone Rabbit’s friends are in danger with Melvin. Will Stone Rabbit be able to get away from the robots? Will he be able to make it home and save his friends and stop Melvin and his plans to destroy Stone Rabbit’s home and planet?

Imogene’s Last Stand
by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

Imogene has loved history since she was very small. In fact, her first words were, “Four score and seven years ago…” In school, she lectured about important women in history during show-and-tell. Imogene decided one day to, with the help of her father, clean up the Liddleville Historical Society that was in a old house that was not being used. She cleaned and organized all of the historical items she found in the house, and then waited to give tours to the people of Liddleville. Unfortunately, no one came. Then one day, Imogene finds that the city is going to tear down the house to build a shoelace factory. The mayor believes the factory “will put the town on the map.” Imogene decides to fight for her society building. Will she be able to stop them from tearing the house down? Can she stand against the other members of the town who believe the shoelace factory is the right way to go? At the beginning and end of the book is information about individuals that Imogene quotes to others.

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle
by Major Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson, and Mary Nethery

There was a dog that lived at a fort in Iraq who had his ears cut to make him a dog of war. This dog was the leader of a pack of wild dogs. Then one day a marine named Major Brian Dennis and ten other Marines arrived at the fort. Major Dennis became friends with “Nubs,” which he named the dog. Nubs liked the belly rubs that he got from Major Dennis, and Nubs stayed with Major Dennis during his turn at guard duty. Soon Major Dennis had to leave, and Nubs could not go with him. When they came back again, Major Dennis saw that Nubs had been hurt, and the Marines helped him to get better. One time after they left, Nubs decided to follow the Marines. It took him two days and seventy miles, but he found Major Dennis. Nubs stayed with the Marines, until someone else told about the dog. Major Dennis was ordered to make Nubs leave. Major Dennis then decided to send Nubs to the United States. It would cost $2,000, though, and Major Dennis and his men worked to raise the money. Was Major Dennis successful in getting Nubs sent to the United States? Where is Nubs now?

The Circus Ship
By Chris Van Dusen

One day, while on a boat traveling to their next show, fifteen animals are stranded in the water when the boat they are riding in smashes into a ledge that no one could see in the fog. The animals manage to swim all night to an island beach. The walk to the village nearby and the people in the village are very surprised to see them. The animals start creating problems for the people in the village by eating their flowers or playing with their laundry. Then one night, there is a fire, and the tiger, which is used to jumping through fire, saves a little girl. The people and the animals get along just fine after this. Then the people hear that the mean owner of the animals is coming to take them away. The people come up with a plan. Will the animals be able to hide from their owner? Will they be able to stay in the village with the people they like so much?

First Day of Winter is December 21st!

The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder
By Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson, Ph.D. and illustrations by Nora Aoyagi

This nonfiction book talks about snowflakes and how they are made. There are lots of little “specks” in clouds, and one of these “specks” is needed to create a snowflake. The book discusses the step-by-step process of the creation of a snow crystal. The book also tells how snow crystals all have different shapes, and what the different shapes are. The book also tells how many sides a snowflake has, and why it can only have that many sides. Finally, the book tells what happens to a snowflake after it falls to the ground. There are pictures of snowflakes throughout the book that have been enlarged by a microscope in order to see what they look like. At the end of the book, there are tips on how to catch your own snow crystals.















Here Comes Jack Frost
by Kazuno Kohara

A little boy lives in a house in the woods, and he has no one to play with, because his friends are all hibernating. Then one morning he sees strange patterns on the window. He goes outside to see who is making those patterns, and sees a white figure putting frost and ice on his house. The boy asks who the figure is, and the figure replies that he is Jack Frost. Then Jack Frost runs away, and the boy chases after him. The boy ice skates across the pond, and then he sleds over the hill after Jack Frost. Then he and Jack Frost have a snowball fight. The boys ask if Jack Frost will play with him, and Jack Frost will. He tells the boy not to mention anything warm, though, or he would have to leave. Will the boy remember not to talk about anything warm? Will Jack Frost stay and continue to play with him?














Chaucer’s First Winter
by Stephen Krensky and illustrated by Henry Cole

Chaucer was a curious bear who liked to look at everything around him. Then one day his friends, Nugget and Kit, tell him that they will miss him during the winter. He asks why, and they tell him that bears usually sleep during the winter. Chaucer’s parents tell him that it is true, but he is not convinced. When his parents went to sleep, Chaucer was not sleepy, so he went outside. He catches snowflakes on his nose and tongue, and as they melt away, he thinks they are magic. Nugget and Kit are surprised to see, and they decide to teach him about snow. They slide down the hill over the snow and slide around on the frozen pond. Chaucer loves winter. One morning, its starts to snow and the wind blows really hard, but Chaucer builds them a safe place to stay. Soon the spring comes, and Chaucer is very disappointed. He goes to tell his parents all about winter, but he soon falls asleep.












Winter is the Warmest Season
By Lauren Stringer

A little boy believes the winter, not summer, is the warmest season. During the winter, he wears warm coats, hats, boots, and mittens. The animals and plants of summer are sleeping under the snow, but the snowmen he builds wear warm scarves. He eats grilled cheese sandwiches, pies, and breads, and he drinks hot chocolate and soup that warm him up inside. During the winter, the radiators keep his house nice and warm, and cats like to sleep in people’s laps instead of the windowsill. There are also fires in the fireplace and candles to help keep the house warm. During the winter, he takes hot baths, and his pajamas have nice warm feet. There are lots of blankets on his bed to keep him warm, people sit closer together to read stories together. This is why he believes that winter is the warmest season.

The Kids’ Holiday Baking Book: 150 Favorite Dessert Recipes from Around the World
by Rosemary Black

In this recipe book there are hundreds of recipes for desserts for all occasion from around the world. At the beginning of the book, the author lists the different equipment, cooking terms, basic ingredients, and safety tips that children will need before they start making any of these delicious desserts. At the beginning of each holiday, the author provides some facts about the holidays and some history, too. She also tells you about how different people around the world celebrate these holidays. There are recipes for fun drinks, as well as the desserts. Some of the recipes include: Pretty in Pink Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake for Valentine’s Day, Emerald Isle Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick’s Day, Italian Easter Pie, Patriotic Pound Cake with Three Berries for Independence Day, and Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cranberry Glaze for Thanksgiving.

All for Pie, Pie for All
by David Martin and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev

One day, Grandma Cat makes an apple pie. After everyone has a slice, there is one slice left. The Cat family takes a nap after eating their pie. The Mouse family smells the apple pie. After everyone is a piece, there are some crumbs left over. Then the Mouse family takes a nap after eating their pie. The Ant family smells the apple pie. After everyone in the Ant family has a crumb, there is one crumb left. Then Baby Ant woke up and took the last crumb of the pie. Grandma Cat wakes up hungry and asks everyone if they would like another pie. The reply from everyone, even the Mouse family and Ant family, is yes. Everyone helps to make the pie, and then everyone helps eat the pie.

The Chocolate Cat
by Sue Stainton and illustrated by Anne Mortimer

There is a chocolate maker who lives alone with his cat and never smiles. His shop is starting to look worn and his chocolates are piling up, as no one really ever stops to buy any. The people thought his cat was lazy, and the cat did not like the people very much. Then one day the chocolate maker makes some chocolate mice with pink-sugar tails. The cat thinks he sees one of the mice move, and then he tries part of a tail. The chocolate made the cat happy. So he takes one of the mice to the greengrocer. Eating the mouse makes the greengrocer come up with an idea, and he takes some fruit to the chocolate makers and dips it in raspberry syrup and chocolate. This did not make the chocolate maker smile, and cat decided to try again. He takes a mouse to the baker. The baker makes some delicious cakes at the chocolate makers. The chocolate maker still does not smile. Cat takes one mouse after the other to different businesses around town, and each person goes to the chocolate shops to make something special. The man at the hardware store also fixed up the chocolate store. After this, the children come and give them chocolate maker ideas. He makes all kinds of different chocolate for them, and one day, the chocolate maker sees one of the mice move, and he tries it and has a great idea. Will this idea cause the chocolate maker to smile again? How will his chocolate shop do in the future?

This Little Bunny Can Bake
by Janet Stein

Class is about to start at Chef George’s famous dessert school. Students have come from all over to study with Chef George. Chef George shows them all about how to create desserts, but the students do not understand. So he decides to start from the beginning. He shows them a pot, spoon, egg, stove, and some of his recipes. Then he tries to teach them to train their noses by covering their eyes and having them figure out what kind of food they have. Then it is time to bake. He tells them to measure carefully, work as teams, concentrate, and make the dessert smell good. He also tells them to keep the kitchen neat as they cook. How will the students do? Will they be able to follow his advice and cook some delicious desserts?

December is National Hi Neighbor Month!

Ruby and the Sniffs
by Michael Emberley

One day when Ruby and her babysitter Mrs. Mastiff are reading, they hear a loud sound coming from the apartment above them. Ruby is convinced there are cat burglars, but Mrs. Mastiff does not want to go and check it out. Ruby decides to play hide and seek. While Mrs. Mastiff is counting, Ruby disappears upstairs. Soon she meets her new neighbors, the Sniffs, and she tells that about the burglars. The Sniffs see that someone has been stealing their food. Ruby hears a noise coming from the door. When she opens it what will she find? Will she be able to help her new neighbors find their missing food?














Heron & Turtle
by Valeri Gorbachev

Heron and Turtle are neighbors, and they are also good friends. One day Turtle invites Heron to go for a walk with him. Heron’s legs are much longer than Turtle’s, and soon she is walking really far ahead of him. So he decides to go on for a ride in his boat instead. Then on another day Heron decides to pay Turtle a visit at his house. He decides to make them both a delicious lunch. Heron worries that Turtle is going to too much trouble for her, but Turtle does not mind. Finally, one evening both Heron and Turtle sit on a log by the lake. There they talk about all the things they love about their lake, especially spending time together as friends.














Eddie’s Kingdom
By D. B. Johnson

King Eddie decides one day to draw a picture of the people that live in his kingdom. He does not usually like to draw people, because they are not nice to him or each other. He goes to every neighbor that he has in the building. Each neighbor is unhappy about something that the other neighbors do, such as leaving trash in the hallway and playing their music too loud. He tries to solve each problem as he goes from door to door, and he says he is sorry to each of his neighbors, even when he is not the one to make them mad. Finally, he decides to show his picture to all of his neighbors. Will they like his picture? Will they learn to be nicer to one another and to Eddie?
















The House of Joyful Living
by Roni Schotter and pictures by Terry Widener

The little girl, her parents, and their neighbors all call their building The House of Joyful Living. Her family and her neighbors liked to be on the roof of the building where there were gardens, sculptures, and the buildings that were all around them. They would also enjoy listening to music and dancing. One of her neighbors is sculpting a surprise for someone in the building, and the little girl hopes it is her. Soon it is the Roof Party that the building has every year, and everyone makes some good food to bring to the party. Her neighbor gives his sculpture to her mother for the new baby. The little girl believes that everyone will pay attention to the baby and forget about her. Will her parents be able to convince her that they will not forget her and neither will her neighbors? Can the little girl be happy about the new baby?

Tiger Pups
by Tom and Allie Harvey

This nonfiction book is about Isabella the dog and how she decided to take care of three baby white tiger cubs. The tiger cubs were born on July 27, 2008, but their mother, Sassy, decided not to take care of them. The owner’s of the wildlife park, Allie and Tom Harvey, know that the tigers need help, and they decide to take them home. Isabella, their dog, decides to take care of the tigers, and they become tiger pups. Then we they are old enough, the tigers start to play with one another and Isabella, Sonny, and Sadie. Playing teaches the tigers how to be tigers. The tigers’ names are Nasira, Anjika, and Sidani. Along with the story of Isabella and the tiger pups, there are pictures of the three tiger pups, Isabella, Sonny, Sadie, and of Allie Harvey.

Pennies for Elephants
by Lita Judge

When they decide to retire, Mr. and Mrs. William Offord offer to sell the elephants to the city of Boston for the zoo. However, Boston could not afford to pay for the elephants. The Orfords agreed to give the children of Boston two months to raise $6,000 to pay for the elephants. Children like Henry and Dorothy gather up all the coins they can find and donate to the city in order to keep the elephants. They also work doing various chores and jobs to make money to donate. Every day a reporter lists the amount of money that different children donated. Will the children be able to give $6,000, or will the elephants be bought by another zoo?

Would I Trade My Parents?
by Laura Numeroff and illustrated by James Bernardin

Did you ever want to trade your parents for someone else’s? A young boy looks at his friends’ parents and all of the cool things they can do. He also talks about things that their parents let them do that he does not get to, such as letting him watch T.V. until eight and have chocolate milk before dinner. Then he looks at his parents and the cool things they can do, and then he thinks about all the cool things they do for him. Will he decide to trade them?

Don’t Be Afraid, Little Pip
by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman

Little Pip was going to learn how to swim, but she decided that she would rather fly than swim. She tells her mom and dad that she is a bird, and birds fly. They tell her that penguins don’t fly, they swim. When the other penguins line up to learn how to swim, Pip walks away. She soon meets a Snow Petrel. The Snow Petrel tells her to flap her wings, lift up her beak, and leap. When she tries, Pip falls down instead. She soon comes to a Giant Albatross. The Albatross tells her to stand on a ledge, jump, spread her wings, and glide. When Pip tries, though, she falls again. Will Pip be able to fly or will she decide to try swimming instead?

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Thanksgiving Door
by Debby Atwell

It is Thanksgiving day and Ann has just burned the dinner. What will she and Ed do for Thanksgiving now? Ed decides that they should go see if the rest down the street is open, and once they get there, they find that the doors are open. The family in the restaurant tries to get rid of Ann and Ed, but Grandmother tells them that they should share their meal with the couple. So Ann and Ed celebrate the family’s first Thanksgiving together at the New World Café. Then the family asks Ed and Ann to join them in dancing. Ed and Ann really enjoy dancing with the family. The two groups thank each other for a great Thanksgiving. When they get home, Ed and Ann both agree that they are thankful that Ann burned the dinner.

The First Thanksgiving
by Jean Craighead George

Along with beautifully painted illustrations, this nonfiction book tells the story of both Squanto and how he came to know English and the pilgrims and how they all came to be at Plymouth. The book also discusses how they worked together to make sure that there was enough food for everyone and the upcoming winter. In fact, the Pilgrims were able to grow and collect so much food that the Pilgrim planned to have a big feast and invited the Indians that had been so much help to them. This feast that they had together later became a holiday known as Thanksgiving.

The Squirrels’ Thanksgiving
by Steven Kroll and illustrated by Jeni Bassett

The night before Thanksgiving while sitting in front of the fire, Buddy and Brenda’s parents start listing the things they are thankful for, including their family. Buddy and Brenda, though, are not thankful for one another, but their parents really want them to be. The next day, Buddy and Brenda meet their aunt and uncle and their cousins, Penny and Chuck. Penny and Chuck are really mean to one another and to Buddy and Brenda. So Buddy and Brenda realize that they are thankful for each other, and that they do not act like Penny and Chuck.

The Can-Do Thanksgiving
by Marion Hess Pomeranc and pictures by Nancy Cote

Dee decides to buy some peas for the Thanksgiving Can-Do Food Drive for her class, and she pays for them with her own money. Dee puts a note on her can so she can find out where her can goes. Dee does not believe she will find out where her peas went, but the next week, her teacher announces that a church downtown got their cans and wanted their help at their soup kitchen. A little boy named Tyler is there to eat Thanksgiving dinner, and he sees Dee and hopes she can be his friend. While handing out napkins, Dee notices that Tyler also wears glasses, like she does, and she hopes that he could be her friend. Suddenly, someone dropped the green beans on the ground, and they needed more vegetables. Dee suggests that they make a vegetable medley with the vegetables they have left, like she does with her dad. Tyler helps her get the vegetable medley ready. Then they bring the vegetable medley out for everyone to eat. Everyone then gets something good to eat.