Mimi

Mimi

by John Newman

Mimi lost her mother in a bicycle accident five months ago, and her family is having a hard time dealing with the death. Mimi’s father is very depressed and sits around the house looking old and tired. Her sister Sally is wearing black clothes, hanging out with other goth friends, and has a terrible secret that she won’t tell anyone. Her brother Connor plays the drums all the time he is home. Mimi feels terribly lonely in her grief, and so she reads her sister’s diary and watches television to feel better. Mimi calls her house the sad house, and she enjoys going to the other houses of her family members after school each day. She also enjoys the little treats that she gets at the other houses, because her father always burns the pizzas that he cooks every night. Mimi also doesn’t have a bed time, and she doesn’t do her homework unless her Aunt B. makes her. Then Mimi reads in the diary that Sally knows she is reading it. Mimi really wanted to know Sally’s secret, but she decides to stop reading the diary. Mimi is not sure of what to do with her family, but she does know that she wants things to get better. Then one day, the teachers tell their father what has been going on at school, the dentist tells their grandparents that they have not been brushing regularly, and Mrs. Lemon at the store tells their father what Sally’s secret is. Sally decides to run away. Will the family be able to find Sally? What did she do that she thinks was terrible enough to run away? Will everything work out okay for this grieving family?

This book covers a very hard topic that will be very hard for some readers. It is something that no one ever wants to face, but this family has to face it and come through it together. The main theme of the book is coping, which the family does not do very well in the beginning. However, little by little, they start working to bring things closer to the way it was before their loss. This book is about a family in England, so the slang may be a little confusing.

Some New Books for December

Clifford Cares

By Norman Bridwell

Clifford the Big Red Dog is back in this little board book, and Emily Elizabeth shares with us all of the things that Clifford cares about. Clifford cares about his family, and he helps them cross the street safely. Clifford cares about his neighbors by helping them paint their house. Clifford is good at getting the really high spots. Clifford cares about other animals, and he helps Emily Elizabeth feed the birds and squirrels at the park. He also makes sure that other dogs have bones, cats have some milk, and even that little mice get some nice cheese. Do you think everyone appreciates the way that Clifford cares about them? Who are some of the people and animals that you care about?

M.O.M. (Mom Operating Manual)

by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Laura Cornell

Have you ever had trouble understanding how your mom does everything that she does in a day? Have you ever wondered how to take really good care of your mother? Then this book will be lots of help for you. In the introduction, the authors tell you all about different kinds of mothers and the things that they do in a day. The next section in the book is on the Daily Care and Maintenance that your mom needs, such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, and water (or SNEW for short). You can learn all about how much of these your mom needs. The next section of the book is on grooming, such as bathing, hair, and clothing. There are also some special notes on transportation with your mother. The last section of the book is about troubleshooting (when your mother malfunctions). Some minor malfunctions include heavy sighing, groaning, or snapping. There are also some helpful hints on how to handle a malfunctioning mom. The one thing that you will get from this book is lots of laughter. Make sure to share it with your mom for a laugh.

I Want My Hat Back

by Job Klassen

A bear realizes that he has lost his hat, and he wants to find it. First, the bear asks the fox if he has seen his hat, but the fox has not. The bear thanks the fox and moves on. Next, the bear asks a frog if he has seen his hat, but the frog has not. The bear thanks the frog and continues on. Next, the bear asks a rabbit with a red hat on his head if he has seen his hat. The rabbit says he has not and tells the bear that he would not steal a hat. The bear thanks the rabbit and continues on. Then the bear meets a turtle and asks if the turtle has seen the hat. The turtle tells the bear that he has been trying to climb the rock and has not seen anything. The bear helps the turtle onto the rock and continues on. The next animal he asks about his hat is the snake. The snake says that he say a blue hat, but the bear’s hat is not blue. After asking one more animal about his hat, the bear lies down and worries what he will do without his hat. A deer walks up and asks bear what is wrong. Then he asks the bear what his hat looked like? Will telling the deer help the bear remember where he had seen his hat? What does the bear tell the squirrel when the squirrel comes looking for the rabbit?

Happy Pig Day!

by Mo Willems

Piggie is so happy to share with Gerald that it is Happy Pig Day. Piggie tells Gerald that on Happy Pig Day, you have a pig party, sing pig songs, dance pig dances, eat pig food, play pig games, and say “Oinky! Oink! Oink!” Gerald tells Piggie that he did not know about Happy Pig Day, and then Piggie’s friends arrive to celebrate with her. Gerald sees that Piggie is having a lot of fun with her friends, and he starts to feel left out. After Gerald leaves, Piggie goes to look for him. Why is Gerald sad about Happy Pig Day? Will Piggie help Gerald be happier with Happy Pig Day? Will everyone have a chance to have fun on Happy Pig Day?

Princess Posey and the Next-Door Dog

Princess Posey and the Next-Door Dog

by Stephanie Greene and illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson

Posey is in class when one of her classmates, Luca, tries to show them a picture of his new puppy. The children are so distracted, that Miss Lee decides to have a class meeting, so that the children can ask Luca questions about his puppy. There is so much excitement, that Miss Lee decides to have the class write a paper about their pet (or their future pet, if they do not have one). Posey is one of the children who does not have a pet, but she is determined to write a great paper. Posey does not want to tell her friends, though, that she has been a little afraid of dogs since she was little. A big dog had jumped on Posey and scared her. That evening, Posey sees that there are new neighbors moving in next door. Posey gets dressed as Princess Posey, and she goes outside on the swing, hoping that they will have a little girl her age. The people do not have a little girl, but Posey does hear that they have a dog. By the barking, Posey thinks that it is a big dog. Posey decides to write her paper on the dog next door. Posey’s grandfather recommends that Posey go with her mother to meet the dog, but the next day, Miss Lee tells them that the pet papers are due by the next day. Posey will have to be brave and go meet the dog by herself. First, Posey dresses up as Princess Posey, who is not afraid of anything. Will the meeting be okay, and will Posey earn a new doggy friend? Will she be able to finish her paper in time?

Posey has a problem that many children her age face, especially when they have had bad experiences with animals like she had. Despite her fears, Posey is determined to have a good story to share with the class. You can tell that Posey is very brave, even when she does not think that she is. Maybe we can all give being a little brave (even if it happens to be in Princess Posey mode) a try.

A Month of Craft Ideas: Knitting

Kids Knit!: Simple Steps to Nifty Projects

by Sarah Bradberry

This nonfiction books has lots of information that will help get you started on learning to knit. The book starts with a little explanation of what knitting is, and the author gives some suggestions of where to find help if you are having trouble getting started. You need three tools to start knitting: yarn, a pair of knitting needles, and a pair of scissors to cut the yarn. There is a list of more tools that will be needed when you start on some of the projects listed in the book. Next, there is a little lesson on how to get started knitting. When you have mastered your first little square of knitting, you can put it away and start one of the twenty projects in this book. Some of the projects include a glasses case, ribbed scarf, cat toy, doll, doll blanket, little pillowcase, kite bookmark, backpack, and much more. These projects should be small and simple, but at the end, you will have something to show off that you made yourself. Happy knitting!

Kids Knitting: Projects for Kids of All Ages

by Melanie Falick with photographs by Chris Hartlove and illustrations by Kristin Nicholas

This nonfiction book discusses getting started with knitting and has twelve knitting project ideas and instructions. This book, though, also has instructions on how to create your own knitting needles and how to dye yarn with Kool-Aid. There is also a discussion on how yarn is made and what animals and plants it comes from. The author begins by discussing the tools needed and where to go for help if you have trouble getting started. This book also discusses knitting by hand and spool knitting. The projects in this book include basic bean bags, scarves, hats, afghans, dolls, puppets, and much more. Between the two of these nonfiction books by Sarah Bradberry and Melanie Falick, you should have a good idea of how to get started with your knitting. Good luck!

Knitting Nell

by Julie Jersild Roth

A little girl named Nell likes to knit and knit and knit. Nell was told by a boy at school that she had a weird voice, and so Nell does not talk a lot. Nell likes to listen, though. She listens to the trees at the park and all of her friends that stop by to chat. While listening Nell knits things for other people. Nell knits a blanket for her aunt’s baby; sock, hats, and mittens for the Children’s Home and for refugees in countries far away. Nell also knits things for her family to wear, and she even makes a beautiful sweater for herself. Nell likes it so much, that she decides to enter it in the contest at the county fair. Nell and her friends have a lot of fun at the County Fair. Will her sweater win a prize at the champion’s ceremony where all of Nell’s friends can see? What will her friends think of her if she does win? Will Nell win any other unexpected prizes at the fair? Will any of them want to start a new hobby like Nell’s?

Noodle’s Knitting

by Sheryl Webster and illustrated by Caroline Pedler

Noodle likes to watch the farmer’s wife do her knitting, and she listens to how she “knits one, purls two, and knits two together.” Then one day the farmer’s wife says that a ball of yarn is the wrong color, and Noodle takes the ball of yarn with her back to home. Noodle stops on the way to show the yarn to Hedgie, and Hedgie (the hedgehog) gives her two of his prickles as knitting needles. Noodle starts to knit as she is traveling home, and while she is not paying attention, she also falls into the little stream. Her friend, Bulgy (the frog) saves her and her yarn from getting wet. Noodle also does not notice how long her knitting has gotten, and when the knitting gets caught on a prickle, Noodle is thrown up into the air. Luckily, her friend, Rosie (the squirrel) is there to catch her in her little wheelbarrow. Noodle tries to finish knitting the whole ball of yarn, and she ends up staying up all night long. What do you think will happen when Noodle tries to get out of her little houses, which is full of knitted yarn? Will her friends be able to help her? What will they end up using all of the knitted yarn for? All of the yarn in the book is “soft-to-touch.”