Check Out These New Pop-Up Books

THE WHISTLE ON THE TRAIN

by Margaret Mcnamara

All aboard! Take a ride on the train as it takes you

all around the town...

BRAVE STREGA NONA!

A Heartwarming Pop-up Book

by Tomie Depaola

Remember Strega Nona stroies? They come to life in this pop-up book that has a book within a book.

YELLOW SQUARE:

A Pop-up Book For Children Of All Ages

by David A. Carter

Not only does it pop up, but you have to find the yellow square on each page.

See if you think the last page is the most challenging.

Cute Board Books For Toddlers

ALL ABOUT ME!

A Baby's Guide to Babies

by David Salariya

SWING! A Scanimation Picture Book

by Rufus Seder

TWINKLE TOES

by Karen Katz

Knuckle Heads by Joan Holub, illustrations by Michael Slack.

If you are looking for a book to make you laugh, this is it! Meet Handsel & Gretel, Handerella, Thumbelina and Nose White who will bring a whole new twist to traditional fairy tales. You will NEVER look at your hands in the same way again. Punny, punny, punny!

Check out a cool Christmas picture book

So many different kinds of holidays!


Zelda and Ivy: one Christmas / Laura McGee Kvasnosky

Two little sister foxes named Zelda and Ivy love Christmas. They bake gingerbread cookies with their neighbor, Mrs. Brownlie and try to decide what they want Santa to bring on Christmas eve.

When they find out that Mrs. Brownlie is going to spend Christmas all along, the sisters decide that they must find a way to make her holiday as bright and happy as they can.



An Ellis Island Christmas / Maxinne Rhea Leighton ; ill. by Dennis Nolan

A young girl, her two brothers and her mother travel from Poland to New York around the turn of the 20th century to join their father and make a better life for themselves. They arrive by ship at Ellis Island on Christmas Eve after a long journey. Their father finds them and they go to their new home on a most memorable Christmas Day.




Aunt Olga's Christmas postcards / Kevin Major ; ill. by Bruce Roberts

Anna's Aunt Olga is 95 and still sassy. At Christmas, they like to bake cookies and Aunt Olga shares her Christmas stories with Anna. Aunt Olga has a beautiful collection of old Christmas photos, postcards and poems that she shows to Anna. Anna loves them, so Aunt Olga teaches her how to make Christmas rhymes of her own.





Santa Claws / Laura Leuck ; ill. by Gris Grimly

Even monsters have Christmas, and boy, do they get excited! Little monsters boys Mack and Zack have tried to be good all year! It is Christmas Eve, and they've hung up their smelly socks on the fireplace and left out some slimy, smelly treats for Santa Claws. They are really hoping Santa Claws will come down their chimney and bring them a new potion kit and a vampire bat for Christmas.

The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket

Lumps of coal have bad reps, especially at Christmas time, but this Lump is determined to follow his dream. Lemony Snicket, the author of the popular Series of Unfortunate Events books, has written a whimsical and charming Christmas story, perfect for all ages. Bet you've never seen a lump of coal like this!

Piper Reed the Great Gypsy by Kimberly Willis Holt

Piper Reed, the nine-year-old daughter of a Navy Chief, keeps herself and her family very busy while her father is away on sea duty . New neighbors, Chrismas at a beach house shaped like a space ship, and school fill the days on her calendar. But most importantly, she is planning for the Gypsy Club pet show, set to take place after her father’s return. Piper is determined to teach her dog Bruna such spectacular tricks that she is will win the contest, but Bruna doesn’t want to cooperate. How can Piper solve this problem?

Ballots for Belva by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Belva Lockwood felt so strongly that women should be allowed to vote, that she ran for President of the United States in order to change that law! And even though American women could not vote for her, she was so persuasive she received a significant number of votes from men who agreed that she should become President.

This fascinating biography is a concise, but well-documented story of an early pioneer in the fight for women's rights in the United States. Just in time for another history-making election, it also includes a helpful timeline of the women's suffrage movement in the United States and a bibliography of other sources about this important, but little-known trailblazer.

Some not-so-scary Halloween books

Here are some Halloween books with lots of thrills but not many chills! Enjoy!





Mrs. McMurphy’s pumpkin by Rick Walton

Julius’ candy corn by Kevin Henkes

The Halloween house by Erica Silverman

The Hallo-weiner by Dav Pilkey

Frank was a monster who wanted to dance by Keith Graves

The biggest pumpkin ever by Stephen Kroll

Dragonflies In Fact and Fiction

Breen, Steve Stick
E Breen
A young frog with a very long tongue zaps a dragonfly
and gets carried away to New Orleans. He has all kinds of
adventures until he longs for his home. A heron helps out
and soon he is reunited with his mother. Again, he gets
hungry….and find out what happens as he zaps a firefly!
Colorful, detailed illustrations.















Camper, Cathy Bugs Before Time:
Prehistoric Insects and Their Relatives
J 565.7 Camper
Did you know that the prehistoric dragonfly was the largest insect
that ever lived? Did you know their wings measured 30 inches across?
This book will give you an idea of the ancient version of the cockroach
(one kind could grow 6 inches), and I’m guessing it would be exceedingly
difficult to step on a bug that’s as big as your shoe! Also, check out the
gigantic ants, and the ancient millipede called “Arthropleura” that could
reach six feet long! This book presents scientific information is a fun way!
This book would be of interest to a dinosaur lover or aspiring entomologist.















Rodanas, Kristina Dragonfly’s Tale
J 398.21 Rodanas
This legend is based on an ancient Zuni legend.
The Ashiwi people were blessed with plenty of food.
They decided to show off for their neighbors, so they
devised a food fight to show that they had so much food
they could waste it. The Corn Maidens, who were
responsible for the abundance, were not treated well during
a visit and they were also angered at the wasting. Two little
forgotten children save the day with kindness and a hand-fashioned
dragonfly. Beautifully illustrated.


Simon, Hilda The Racer: Speed in the Animal World J 591.1852 Simon
This book discusses 14 of the speedy animals. One chapter covers the dragonfly. I discovered that South American Indians thought they were spirits of the dead and the Japanese believe
they are symbols of victory. I found out that dragonflies can fly at speeds over 30 miles per hour. Check out the information on other “speeders” like the jackrabbit, marlin and sand lizard.
Beautiful illustrations.

Salami In Children's Books

Levy, Elizabeth
A Hair-Raising Tail
J Mys Levy
After Fletcher, a salami-loving basset hound, is wrongly accused
of eating a pet rabbit, he and his sidekick, Jasper the flea, must find
the true culprit before Fletcher is sent back to the dog pound.


Pinkwater, Daniel Manus
The Worms Of Kukumlima
J Fic Pinkwate
Ronald accompanies his grandfather, the salami snap magnate,
and the world famous explorer Sir Charles Pelicanstein,
on an expedition to Africa to search for the intelligent worms of Kukumlina.















Smath, Jerry
Sammy Salami
E Smath
When chubby cat Sammy Salami's owner Pete goes missing,
Sammy boards a train to look for him, is adopted by a passenger
and has a nice vacation, but he continues to look for Pete.















Winkler, Henry
I Got A “D” In Salami
J Fic Winkler
Antics ensue after Hank throws his report card into a meat grinder.

Puddles In Picture Books

Ginsburg, Mirra Good Morning, Chick
E Ginsburg
When he tries to imitate a rooster, a newly-hatched chick falls in a puddle.


















Kleven, Elisa The Puddle Pail
E Kleven
When his older green brother suggests that he collect things,
Ernst, a young blue crocodile, comes up with an unusual choice: puddles.


Lobel, Arnold Small Pig
ER Lobel
Because the farmer's wife insists on cleaning his mud puddle, a little pig
runs away to the city where he becomes permanently stuck in what he
thought was a mud puddle.



McPhail, David The Puddle
E McPhail
A boy sets out to sail his boat in a puddle and is joined by a frog, a turtle,
an alligator, a pig, and an elephant.




Munsch, Robert N. Mud Puddle
E Munsch
A mud puddle sits waiting to muddy up Jule Ann. Can it be defeated by smelly soap?

Voices In History

Kay Winters Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak
J 973.3115 Winters
Right before the Boston Tea Party, voices of the townspeople are speaking of the turbulent times and how these times affected them. Hear the voices of both Patriots and Loyalists. A Basket Trader, a Native American, describes the difficulty of walking between two worlds. The Blacksmith’s Slave speaks of the irony of the talk of freedom---a freedom he would never experience. Historical notes explain the work of colonial occupations such as a milliner, wigmaker, silversmith apprentice and more. A glossary defines some wonderful colonial words like—fripperies, wag-on-the-wall, and whispering sticks. A list of further reading completes this interesting book.














Laura Amy Schlitz Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices From A Medieval Village
J 812.6 Schlitz
These are voices or soliloquies of medieval villagers. Life was portrayed realistically as brutish and harsh. The year depicted was 1255---with all the maggots, lice, and dung thrown in. I totally recommend this book. For me, the most poignant part of the story was the voice of Jack, cruelly labeled by others as “Lack-a-wit Numskull Mooncalf Fool.” Only his sister has faith in him and treats him kindly. One day Jack comforts and aids a disliked boy who is beaten up; and because the boy does not (from that day forth) join in the taunts, Jack comes to consider him a friend. Voices to touch your heart!

Kay Winters Voices of Ancient Egypt
J 932 Winters
The voices of thirteen people of varying occupations during the Old Kingdom are featured. Especially interesting to me were the voices of the pyramid builder, birdnetter, and clothes washer. Women are represented as farmer, weaver, and dancer. The illustrations are very attractive in golden/brown hues. An historical note adds more information on the occupations and a bibliography of sources rounds out the book.

Mary E. Lyons (ed) Feed The Children First: Irish Memories of the Great Hunger
J 941.5081 Feed
The year was 1845; over eight million people lived in Ireland. The Irish farmers’ main crops like barley, oats, and wheat went to pay their landlord’s rent. The Irish farmer family lived on potatoes. A family with four kids ate about five tons of potatoes a year. During this same year, a fungus spread, killing the potato crops. People began to starve. One million Irish died and 1.5 million Irish left Ireland. The voices in this book tore at my heartstrings. This is the tragic story of starvation, poor houses, and soup kitchens—and the hope for the relief efforts. The author’s grandfather was an Irish survivor.

Peaches In Children's Stories

Choi, Yansook Peach Heaven
E Choi
Puchon, the Korean town where Yangsook lives, is famous for wonderful peaches. One year a rainstorm threatens. Yangsook experiences peaches pouring over rooftops. She sympathizes with the farmers who had worked so hard growing the delicious peaches…then she has an idea! This story is based on the author’s own experiences when Puchon was hit by one of the heaviest rainfalls ever occurring there.

Dahl, Roald James And The Giant Peach
J Fic Dahl
Orphan James must live with his two cruel aunts. He becomes
leader of child size insects he finds in the pit of a giant peach that
somehow grows in his aunts’ backyard.















Kilborne, Sarah S. Peach & Blue
E Kilborne
A frog helps a peach see the world and the peach shows
the frog sights he has never seen before. This is the story
of a very unlikely friendship.



Kimmel, Eric A. Three Sacks Of Truth
E Kimmel
With the aid of a perfect peach, a silver fife, and his own
resources, Petit Jean outwits a dishonest king and
wins the hand of a princess.

Zimelman, Nathan I Will Tell You Of Peach Stone
E Zimelman
An old man and his dog obtain immortality by bringing the gift of the peach from China to the rest of the world.

Non-Fiction Treats

Buller The Unofficial Official Handbook For Boys

J 031.02 Buller

This book is full of games, facts, activities and things to make. Find out if rats get sweaty, how many words you can write with one pencil, how many meteoroids rain down on earth each day, and if frogs have ears… Find out how to make a worm farm, cool scarecrow, and how to catch a “Hail Mary” pass in football. This book is like potato chips, you can’t stop at one page!

Gill Alaska J979.8 Gill
Alyeska is the Aleut word for the beautiful state called Alaska; it means “the Great Land.” I am bundled up when the thermometer reaches 40, but Alaska can get winter temps of 60 degrees below zero. Find out cool (brrr) facts about the aurora borealis, mushers, the “stinky diaper” flower, and more! Enjoy the poetry and beautiful photographs. Special treats are the Cheechako tips like: Don’t eat yellow snow; Don’t let go of the sled and Stay upwind from whales...














Jackson The Mysterious Universe:
Supernovae, Dark Energy and Black Holes
J 523.84465 Jackson
This book follows scientist Alex Filippenko and his team as they search for supernovae, which are stars that die with a gigantic explosion. He also looks for black holes and studies the effects of dark energy. This book also addresses the ever expanding universe. Dr. Filippenko shows readers science in interesting ways---he sifts grains of sand to demonstrate the vast number of stars which exist and he even dresses up as a black hole. Interesting for those who like to learn more about space. Fine pictures!

Urbigkit
The Shepherd’s Trail
J 636.300976 Urbigkit
Each herd or band of sheep is cared for by one or two sheepherders, employed by the ranch owner. They use herding dogs to sort and move sheep. I didn’t know that sheep are early risers. Professional sheep shearers take only about 3 minutes to shear a sheep. Especially cool is the information on how sheepherders know if any of their sheep are missing.

More Garbage In Children's Books

I found some more trashy favorites....

Bailey, Linda How Come The Best Clues Are Always In The Garbage?
J Mys Bailey
When a thief steals money from her mom's Garbage Busters project, Stephanie, a sixth grader, identifies herself as "Stevie Diamond, Detective" and sets off to find the culprit.















Burns, Loree Griffin Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam And
The Science Of Ocean Motion
J 551.462 Burns

This is the story of scientists who track ocean going trash in order to discover how to better protect the environment. Dr. Curtis Ebbesmeyer is one such scientist. He is considered to be a leading expert on flotsam and jetsam, floating trash that falls or is thrown from ships at sea. Some of his experiments involve tracking sneakers and rubber ducks. For grades 5-8,
this is a well written book, fine for recreational reading or report writing. Photos, charts, and diagrams are an added enrichment. Check out the picture of the litter strewn beach on Kure Atoll, which is a remote, uninhabited Pacific island. Eye-opening!











Erickson, John R. The Garbage Monster From Outer Space
J Fic Erickson
Hank the Cowdog is determined to find out who's behind the series
of garbage barrel raids for which he is being held responsible.











Maass, Robert Garbage
E Maass
An introduction to the problems of waste management
and the various ways we dispose of garbage. Includes tips on recycling.














Odanaka, Barbara Smash! Mash! Crash!
There Goes The Trash!
E Odanaka
Presents a rhyming imitation of all the sights and sounds of
the neighborhood on trash day.

Paulsen, Gary Dunc’s Dump
J Fic Paulsen
Camouflaged as piles of rotting trash, Dunc Culpepper
and his best friend for life Amos Binder are sneaking
around the town dump. Dunc wants to find out who is
polluting the garbage at the dump with hazardous
and toxic waste. Amos just wants to impress Melissa.
Can either of them succeed?

Delightful Garbage In Children's Books

Armstrong, Jennifer Once Upon A Banana
E Armstrong
Rhyming street signs tell the story of the chaos that

happens when a juggler’s monkey runs away, snatches

a banana and tosses the peel.

Fine, Edith Hope Armando And The Blue Tarp School
E Fine
Armando and his father are trash-pickers in Tijuana, Mexico, but

when Señor David brings his "school"--a blue tarp set down near

the garbage dump--to their neighborhood, Armando's father decides

that he must attend classes and learn. Based on a true story of

David Lynch from New York, who went to Mexico in 1980 to teach

the children living in the colonia of the city dump. This is a wonderful

story of the “magical” interaction between a teacher and the students.

The theme of valuing education runs throughout the story. Heart-warming!

McMullan, Kate I Stink!
E McMullan
Who goes around town eating smelly sneakers,

moldy meatballs, fish heads and more! No wonder

he proudly boasts: “I STINK!” The loud, sassy,

burping garbage truck has kid appeal. A real…trashy….treat!

Zimmerman, Andrea G. Trashy Town
E Zimmerma
Take the route with Mr. Gilly, trash collector, as he

cleans up the whole town.

Nonsense Poems For Children

Carroll, Lewis Jabberwocky
J 821.8 Carroll
The author's famous poem is given a modern visual
twist as the Jabberwocky becomes a fourteen-fingered,
slam-dunking beast on the basketball court.















Hort, Lenny Tie Your Socks And Clap Your Feet
J 811.54 Hort
A collection of nonsensical poems about dogs that purr,eating soup
with a knife, a baby girl with a mustache, and other silly situations.


Kennedy, X. J. Ghastlies, Goops, & Pincushions
J 811.54 Kennedy
A collection of nonsense poems describing a variety of unlikely
characters and situations.


Lear, Edward The Pelican Chorus And Other Nonsense
E Lear
The fantasy and nonsense of three of Edward Lear’s most famous
poem tales.


Lear, Edward Quangle Wangle’s Hat
J 821 Lear
The Quangle Wangle thought he was isolated at the top of
a tree but his hat attracted a wide range of visitors.









Yolen, Jane How Beastly: A Menagerie Of Nonsense Poems
J 811.54 Yolen
Funny rhymes and pictures show us some beasts that never were!