Hot Cocoa And Gingerbread

One of the pleasures of winter---
snuggling up in a comfy blanket,
sipping on hot cocoa and eating a
bite of gingerbread...
and after that....
relaxing and reading a good book!













Ernst, Lisa C. The Gingerbread Girl
E Ernst

Like her older brother, the Gingerbread Boy,
who was eventually devoured by a fox, the
Gingerbread Girl eludes the many people
who would like to eat her but also has a plan
to escape her sibling's fate.













Grey, Mini Ginger Bear
E Grey


After a lonely gingerbread bear creates
some friends by mixing up a new batch
of dough, he realizes that being a cookie
has some major disadvantages.



Mitgutsch, Ali From Cacao Bean To Chocolate
E Mitgutsch


Follows the cacao bean from the tropical
trees on which they grow to the factories
where they are roasted, skinned, and
ground to make cocoa butter, the major
ingredient in chocolate products.










Schaefer, Carole Lexa The Copper Tin Cup
E Schaefer

A young boy enjoys drinking his cocoa
from a special cup that has been passed
down through several generations of his family.

Shields, Carol Diggory Lucky Pennies And
E Shields Hot Chocolate

A grandfather and his grandson enjoy
sharing knock-knock jokes, playing games,
hot chocolate, watching movies, reading
books, playing baseball and just spending
time together.

Stringer, Lauren Winter Is The
E Stringer Warmest Season

A child describes pleasant ways to stay
warm during the winter, from sipping
hot chocolate and eating grilled cheese
sandwiches to wearing woolly sweaters
and sitting near a glowing fireplace.

The Nutcracker In Picture Books

Bourgeois, Paulette Franklin's School Play
E Bourgeois
Franklin has been chosen to play the Nutcracker
Prince in his class's production. Will he be too
nervous to say his lines when the big night arrives?















Brownrigg, Sheri Best Friends Wear Pink Tutus
E Brownrigg
When two friends vie for the part of Clara in the
"Nutcracker", who will get the part?















De Palma, Mary Newell The Nutcracker Doll
E DePalma
Kepley, a young ballerina, gets to play a flower doll
in a professional production of "The Nutcracker."


















Isadora, Rachel Lili On Stage
E Isadora
Lili is thrilled to be dancing the part of a guest
in the party scene of the Nutcracker Ballet.












Jeffers, Susan The Nutcracker
E Jeffers
An abridged version of the story of Marie
Stahlbaum, who helps break the spell on her toy
nutcracker and watches him change into a handsome
prince.














McMullan, Kate Noel The First
E McMullan
In this sequel to "Nutcracker Noel", Noel
figures out that being first isn't everything.

Nutcracker Ballet Stories

Maybe you’ve seen the Nutcracker Ballet on television or maybe at a theater.
Check out the story of the Nutcracker….
Read The Story:

Berger, Gilda
Magic Slippers: Stories From The Ballet
J 792.845 Berger
Stories of ten well-known ballets, including
Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty,
The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet,
and others.

Hansen, Rosanna
The Fairy Tale Book Of Ballet
J 792.845 Hansen
Text and photographs record the
plots and performances of three fairy tales
ballets "Swan Lake," "The Sleeping Beauty,"
and "The Nutcracker."

Hoffmann, E.T.A. Nutcracker
J Fic Hoffmann
After hearing how her toy nutcracker
got his ugly face, a little girl helps break
the spell and changes him into
a handsome prince

McCaughrean, Geraldine
The Random House Book Of
Stories From The Ballet
J 792.84 McCaughr
Read about the stories behind
several famous ballets---including the
Nutcracker.

Meyerowitz, Joel
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker
J 792. 842 Meyerwi
Photographs taken during the film
production, capture all the elegant
and rich movement of George
Balanchine's ballet.

After reading about the story,
you can check out the DVD:

The Nutcracker DVD
DVD 782.95 Nutcrack
On Christmas Eve, a little girl
dreams of her wooden
nutcracker, who has
been transformed into a
handsome prince. The prince
takes her to his enchanted kingdom
where they are entertained
by dancers from many lands.
Starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and the
American Ballet Theatre.

Nutcracker DVD J DVD Nutcrack
A new movie version of a timeless
Christmas fantasy set in motion when
a young girl receives the gift of a nutcracker.

Puppets and Puppeteers In Children's Books

What kind of puppets do you like??
Hand puppets….finger puppets…
Shadow puppets…marionettes….
Glove puppets….junk puppets…???

Here are some puppet tales to enjoy!!

Bryant, Jill Making Shadow Puppets
J 791.53 Bryant
Describes how to create traditional shadow
puppets based on designs from around the
world, including instructions for wooden rod
puppets, portable screen setups, and scenery
and script ideas.











Collodi, Carlo Pinocchio
J Fic Collodi
Pinocchio, a wooden puppet full of
tricks and mischief, with a talent
for getting into and out of trouble,
wants more than anything else to
become a real boy.




Durrett, Deanne Jim Henson
J B Henson
Biography of the famous puppeteer
and creator of the Muppets.














Love, D. Anne The Puppeteer’s Apprentice
J Fic Love
A medieval orphan girl called Mouse gains
the courage she needs to follow her dreams
of becoming a puppeteer's apprentice.



Paterson, Katherine The Master Puppeteer
J Fic Paterson
A thirteen-year-old boy describes the poverty
and discontent of eighteenth century Osaka and
the world of puppeteers in which he lives.














Pilegard, Virginia W. The Warlord’s Puppeteers
E Pilegard
While traveling back to their warlord's palace in
ancient China, Chuan and the artist to whom he
is apprenticed join a troupe of puppeteers and
Chuan learns about puppet proportions.
Includes instructions for making a simple sock puppet.

Roberts, Diane Puppet Pandemonium
J Fic Roberts
Baker is unhappy about leaving Seattle--
and his job as director of his grandmother's
puppet shows--to start fifth grade in a small
Texas town, but a local festival provides an
opportunity to overcome his shyness and
prove himself.

Sierra, Judy Fantastic Theater:
Puppets and Plays For Young
Performers and Young Audiences
J 791.53 Sierra
Thirty puppet plays adapted from
nursery rhymes, folk songs, fables,
poetry, folktales, and myths with
instructional chapters on making and
using rod and shadow puppets and
puppet stages.

More Dog Books To Read With Your Pooch...

Have your heard?
Dog Paddle…..swim stroke
Dog Ear…….. turn down corner of a page
Dog-Eat-Dog… ruthless competition
Can you think of more?

Dog By Matthew Van Fleet
E Vanfleet
This board book features cool
textures and pull tabs and
pictures of many different
kinds of dogs.

The True-Or-False Book Of Dogs
By Patricia Lauber
J 636.7 Lauber
Find out interesting facts like…
Do dogs hear more than we do?
Do dogs or wolves bark more?
Does a dog’s body tell of its feelings?

Is My Dog A Wolf?
By Jenni Bidner
J 636.7 Bidner
Did you know when your dog
chases a cat, plays fetch,
digs a hole, or barks at
the mail carrier, the dog is
showing you a bit of its wolf side.
Find out how dogs
are similar to their wild cousins.

Nobody Notices Minerva
By Wednesday Kirwan
E Kirwan
Nobody seemed to notice
Minerva, so she started
doing naughty things to get
attention. Finally she
discovered that it’s best to
be noticed for being
kind and helpful.

Man's (and Kid's) Best Friends

Dogs are “best friends”, but did you know

that dogs end up in everyday expressions?

Have you heard…

“in the doghouse” (in trouble)
“dog tired” (very tired)
“ sick as a dog” (very sick)
“raining cats and dogs” (raining heavily)?

You might take home a doggie bag,

if you’re served too much food….

MMPL has some wonderful new dog books…

The Original Dogs For Kids

By Kristin Mehus-Roe J 636.7 Mehusroe

There’s lots of cool information on dog breeds,

including personality, history, and who

makes the best families for the breed.

You can learn how to play doggie games

with your pooch. Included are fun training tips,

careers that include working with dogs,

puppy training and plenty of fascinating facts.

This book contains so much information and

pictures that it’s hard to put the book down.

Also includes a CD

Dogs and Cats

By Steve Jenkins J 636.7 Jenkins

Did ya know?....

Dogs dream

Dogs are descendants of the gray wolf

Wanna Know?....

Why dogs chase balls or roll in manure??

This is a flip book, with one side devoted to dogs..

and the other side devoted to cats

Good illustrations and cool facts

My Senator and Me: A Dog’s-Eye

View of Washington, D.C.

By Senator Edward M. Kennedy J 328.73 Kennedy
Told by the viewpoint of Senator Kennedy’s dog,

Splash, this book teaches the basics of political

process and describes a typical day at the Capitol.

Jake the Philharmonic Dog

By Karen LeFrak J 636.7 LeFrak

A small black dog named Jake had a

musical bark and rhythmic tail wag that

endeared him to Richie, the principal stagehand

of the Philharmonic Orchestra. One day Richie

brought Jake to work with him. When a crisis

develops before a concert, Jake steps in and

saves the day and steal the show. This story is

inspired by the real-life mascot of the New York

Philharmonic….Jake.

New and Tasty Thanksgiving Treats

Come to MMPL and feast on these

Thanksgiving book treats….

Auch, Mary Jane Beauty and the Beaks E Auch
When Lance, a very pretentious turkey, arrives
on the farm and boasts that he is the only bird
invited to a special feast, no hen is impressed,
but when Beauty learns that Lance is the main course,
she convinces the others to save him.

Kroll, Virginia L. The Thanksgiving Bowl E Kroll
Each member of a family writes an anonymous
"I'm thankful for" note and places it in the Thanksgiving
bowl, but after the family guesses who wrote each note,
the bowl is accidentally left outside, where it rolls
off on a year-long series of adventures.

Martin, Ann M. Needle and Thread J Fic Martin
Flora worries about her first Thanksgiving without her parents, while Ruby worries about getting a part in the school musical, and their new friends, Olivia and Nikki, are adjusting to big changes in their families.

Roy, Ron Mayflower Treasure Hunt J Mys Roy
When Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose visit Plymouth,
Massachusetts for Thanksgiving, they uncover a
mystery that dates back to the landing of the Pilgrims.




Come by the Children’s Department and

discover an abundance of Thanksgiving tales.

Who Are The Time Warp Trio, Anyway???

Heroes Joe, Fred and Sam visit interesting

time periods and have all kinds

of adventures…
in these funny stories

by author Jon Scieszka.

Check out….

Summer Reading Is Killing Me

J Fic Scieszka

Our heroes are trapped

inside their summer

reading lists.

Viking & Liking It

J Fic Scieszka

Fred, Sam and Joe sail with

Leif Erickson….

(in the time of the Vikings)

Me Oh Maya! J Fic Scieszka
Joe, Fred, and Sam find themselves whisked by The Book to the main ring-ball court in Chichin Itza, Mexico in 1000 A.D., where they must play for their lives against a Mayan High Priest who cheats.

Da Wild, Da Crazy, Da Vinci J Fic Scieszka
Our heroes meet Leonardo da Vinci and try to avoid becoming toilet scrubbers in a sixteenth-century Italian army.

Oh Say, I Can’t See J Fic Scieszka
Joe, Sam, and Fred inspire

General George Washington.

Marco? Polo J Fic Scieszka
The Trio must pose as astrologers and join

the caravan of Marco Polo and his father.

Which time period would
you like to visit…???

Who (in history) would you like to meet?

Let's Explore Caves!!!

The Secret of Priest's Grotto




By Peter Lane Taylor
J 940.53 Taylor

The Popowa Yama cave in the Western Ukraine
is the 10th largest in the world
and was discovered by Jewish villagers trying to survive the Nazis. This is a labyrinth cave with so many twists and turns that the biggest danger is getting lost.

Nicola and Taylor (authors and cavers) sought out to discover how
28 untrained, poorly equipped people (including children and elderly) survived almost a year in the hostile environment of the cave.

The big dangers were being found by Nazis, starvation, and
sensory deprivation.

Imagine being in a cave at a constant 50 degrees temperature and so dark you couldn't see the fingers of a hand in front of your face.

Men had to occasionally go out and bring back firewood and food. The explorers Nicola and Taylor found some artifacts in the cave that belonged to the Jews.

Great story!

In the back of the book states that a documentary and upcoming film is to be made.

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Cave Detectives:
Unraveling The Mystery of An
Ice Age Cave
By David L. Harrison
J 560.1792097 Harrison

The story takes place before humans arrived in North America. In a cave a bear attacks and kills some peccaries. In these early days, the cave is home to a variety of animals including mastodons, mammoths, musk oxen, giant sloths and more.

The cave becomes sealed with debris and is sealed off from the world.

By accident in 2001, the cave is uncovered!

CavesScientists examine the cave and discover scratch marks make by a saber tooth cat or an American lion. Scientist determine this in North America's oldest ice age cave. A mammoth
bone found dated back 630,000 years and plant remains date back 830,000 years.

Join in the adventures of discovery into ice age times.

Good Read!

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Mystery of the Lascaux Cave

By Dorothy Henshaw Patent

J 759.0112 Patent

In September 1740, teenagers in France would make a great discovery accidentally in their search for treasure. What a great treasure did they find...the Lascaux cave which was covered with beautiful paintings made by prehistoric people.

The cave has 7 sections with painted or engraved images. The largest is the Hall of the Bulls. All images are life-like except one.

During the periods of the cave drawings, a prehistoric people called the Magdalenians lived. These early people used earth colors (pigments found in rocks) to make their paintings.

With heavy tourist visits in earlier years, the cave suffered with the formation of green and white spots. The cave is now closed, but to satisfy the interest of the public, a replica was made.

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Life Without Light:

A Journey To Earth's

Dark Ecosystems

By Melissa Stewart

J 577 Stewart

Until recently, people have believed that life requires light.

In the Last couple of decades, new life forms have been discovered in total darkness. In earlier times, people thought that the deep sea had no life below 2,000 feet because is was too dark, cold, and too great water pressure.

This book shows some of the creatures that live in the darkness of the deep sea.

You can also find out about life in caves, hydrothermal vents, underground aquifers, and rock deep below the earth's surface.

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Halloween Picture Books With Silly Sounding Titles

These Halloween books have the silliest sounding titles....

Check 'em out!!!














Minnie and Moo Meet Frankenswine
By Denys Cazet ER Cazet
During a thunderstorm, the farm animals
are frightened out of the barn by a monster,
and only cow friends Minnie and Moo are
brave enough to investigate.


Trick-Or-Treat, Smell My Feet!
By Lisa Desimini E Desimini
When twin witches Delia and Orphelia
cook up a mischievous spell for
Halloween, a mysterious ingredient
causes the potion to backfire.



Happy Halloween, Stinky Face
By Lisa McCourt E McCourt
A mother reassures her young son
as he imagines all the things that
might go wrong while trick-or-
treating.


The Hallo-Wiener
By Dav Pilkey E Pilkey
All the other dogs make fun of Oscar
the dachshund until one Halloween
when, dressed as a hot dog, Oscar
bravely rescues the others.


Which is your favorite??

More Goofy Titles

Check out these cool stories with goofy sounding titles!

Z-Z-Zoink! By Bernard Most E Most
A pig has trouble finding a place to sleep because
she snores so loudly and wakes up the entire
barnyard.





The Stinky Cheese Man By Jon Scieszka E Scieszka
And Other Fairly Stupid Tales
A collection of funny, fractured fairy tales...or in other words,
your favorite fairy tales with a smart alecky twist..Great fun!





Bippity Bop Barbershop By Natasha Tarpley E Tarpley
A story celebrating a young African-American boy's first trip
to the barbershop.



Oonga Boonga By Frieda Wishinsky E Wishinsky
Big brother Daniel seems to have just the right touch when it
comes to making Baby Louise stop crying.





What are the goofiest sounding titles you've discovered at
the library???

Fun With Seuss

Here are some silly sounding titles
brought to us....by Dr. Seuss!










Check these out for chuckles:
Hooray For Diffendoofer Day
The story stars an unthinkable teacher
named Miss Bonkers and quirky little
Diffendoofer School, which must prove
it has taught its students how to think.

Bartholomew And The Oobleck
The King, tired of rain, snow, sun, and fog,
commands his magicians to make something
else come down from the sky, but when
oobleck falls, in sticky greenish droplets,
Bartholomew Cubbins shames the King and
saves the kingdom.

I Had Trouble Getting To Solla Sollew
The hero of this book is beset with minor
problems, and he sets out on an ill-
fated journey to find a place without
troubles.

The Butter Battle Book
Engaged in a long-running battle, the
Yooks and the Zooks develop more and
more sophisticated weaponry as they
attempt to outdo each other.

Dr. Seuss was a master of words....
Here are some favorites....

Hoop-Soup-Snoop Group (Sleep Book)

The Perilous Poozer of Pompelmoose Pass
(I Had Trouble Getting To Solla Sollew)

Beagle-Beaked-Bald-Headed Grinch
(Scrambled Eggs Super)

Can you think of more???

Goofy Sounding Titles

Check These Out...

Sometimes I'm Bombaloo Rachel Vail E Vail

When Katie Honors feels angry and out of control, her mother

helps her to be herself again.



Good Night, Princess Pruney-Toes Lisa McCourt E McCourt

With the help of her loyal subject, Sir Daddy,

a young girl pretends to be a princess as she

gets ready for bed.



Moosekitos Margie Palatini E Palatini

Moose with an huge mustache, organizes a family reunion.



Baloney (Henry P.) Jon Scieszka E Scieszka

A transmission received from outer space

in a combinationof different Earth languages tells

of an alien schoolboy's fantastic excuse

for being late to school again.

More Silly Sounding Book Titles

Here are some more silly sounding words....


brouhaha.....meaning an uproar


folderol....meaning nonsense


mollycoddled.....meaning pampered


Can you think of a silly sounding word?


Here are some more books with silly

sounding titles....










Mucky Duck By Sally Grindley E Grindley
(mucky means filthy or dirty)
Oliver and Mucky Duck have trouble staying clean.

The Squishiness of Things By Marc Kompaneyets
E Kompaney (squishy means soft and wet)
In his quest to find the squishiness of bugs and
bounciness of sausage, the genius Hieronymus
finds one little hair can baffle him.

The Squiggle By Carole Lexa Schaefer
E Schaefer (a squiggle is a short, twisting line)
With imagination, a piece of string can
transform into a dragon, acrobat, and more!

Rufus The Doofus By Ned Delaney E Delaney
( a doofus menas foolish person)
After no one ever paid attention to him,
Rufus decides to change that radically.

Can you think of more silly titles....