Let's Go...Fly a Kite!

Ben Franklin and His First Kite
by Stephen Krensky and illustrated by Bert Dodson

Ten-year-old Benjamin Franklin works very hard in his father’s candle shop. Benjamin cuts the wicks and lays them out for his father. Ben does not consider making candles very exciting, though. Ben asks his father when they will be done for the day. Ben’s father knows that Ben probably has a plan, and he asks Ben about it. Ben tells his father that he wants to try an experiment at the millpond. That afternoon, Ben heads home after leaving the candle shop. He notices that there is a strong wind blowing the ships, and he is happy about it. When he gets home, Ben’s mother asks him why he is in such a s hurry, and he tells her about his plan. She tells him to be home in time for supper. Ben grabs the kite he made and heads for the millpond. Once to the millpond, Ben tells a few of his friends what the experiment will be. Ben plans to just float on the water holding onto the kite, and the kite will pull him across the pond without him having to swim at all. Will this plan work? What will Ben’s friends think about his experiment?

Colorful Kites: Historical Toys
by Beth Dvergsten Stevens

This nonfiction book is all about kites. This book contains the chapters: History of Kites in the World, History of Kites in America, All Kinds of Kites, Make Your Own Kites; Up, Up, and Away, and Crazy Kite Facts. The first chapter contains interesting facts, such as the kite is about 3,000 years old, and kites have been flown throughout the world for many reasons, including for good luck, for help during battles, and just for fun. In America, kites were used during important experiments and even to help build a bridge. Some of the different kinds of kites include flat kites, box kites, and bowed kites. In the chapter about making your own kites, there is a list for the materials that will be needed and step-by-step instructions on how to create different kinds of kites. In the fifth chapter, there is a discussion on the best time to fly kites, and the best ways to get the kites up in the air and back down again. Finally, some crazy kite facts include the different kinds of leaves used to make kites, there was a law passed that banned kites because they scared horses, and the biggest kite weighed a whole ton.

The Kite Festival

by Leyla Torres

The family is going on a trip, and Fernando and his grandfather are studying a map. Fernando’s grandfather tells him to close his eyes and put his finger on the map. Fernando’s finger lands on San Vicente, and this is where the family is going. The family loads up lunch and something to work on while they are on the trip. They also bring the map along. When the family reaches San Vicente, they see lots of kites in the air. They find that San Vicente is having a kite festival. Fernando and his grandfather see if they can buy a kite, but the lady at the stand tells them that she just has bamboo strips in case any of the kites break. Fernando’s grandfather buys three strips. Then he uses the string from Fernando’s little sister’s toy to tie the strips together to make a frame. Then Fernando’s grandfather uses the map to make the sail, and Fernando wants to decorate it with the crayons he brought. Fernando’s dad finds some string in his toolbox in the car, and Fernando tells the family that they can attach the sail to the frame using Band-Aids. Fernando’s grandfather finishes tying the bridle together, as a voice comes out of the loudspeaker telling everyone to launch their kites. When they launch the kite, they find out that they need one more piece. What is the last piece to make the kite fly? Will the family be able to find one? Will the kite fly successfully? Will the family face any more surprises when it comes to the kite? At the end of the book, there are instructions on how to make a kite like the one Fernando’s family made.

The Sea-Breeze Hotel
by Marcia Vaughan and Patricia Mullins

The Sea-Breeze Hotel stands on a cliff over the Blow-Me-Down Bay, but the hotel is not very busy. This is not the fault of the owner, Mrs. Pearson, or Henry, the handyman, or Hilda, the housekeep, or Sam, Henry’s grandson. The reason is the wind. Eleven months of the year, the wind blows too hard for swimming, fishing, beachcombing, or sitting out on the balcony. Mrs. Pearson worries that the hotel will have to close, if more people do not come to stay there. Sam gets an idea to cheer up Mrs. Pearson. In the cellar, he finds a broken fishing rod, fishing line, scraps of cloth, and some old kitchen curtains. Sam puts the pieces together into a kite. Sam gives the kite to Mrs. Pearson, and the kite takes off, after being caught by the wind. Henry decides they should all make kites to fly, since there are no guests. Hilda makes a butterfly kite, Henry makes a box kite, and Sam makes a dragon kite with a long green tail. As they are flying their kites, people see them and come over to join in the fun. Mrs. Pearson, Hilda, Henry, and Sam make more kites for the people. Will this idea bring people to stay at the hotel? What will Mrs. Pearson, Hilda, Henry, and Sam due during the one month with no wind?

Some Spring Books

Spring Surprises
by Anna Jane Hays and illustrated by Hala Wittwer Swearingen

Spring is here, and it is time to say goodbye to the cold weather. It is time for birds to fly, and for all of the animals that had been asleep to wake up. It is time for strong winds to help with flying kites, and for the days to start becoming longer. Spring also means spring showers and buds opening into flowers. Spring is time to make pies out of mud and dollies out of hollyhocks. Little baby ducks learn how to swim, and little baby birds can be found in the nests. There are also lots of little baby animals around, such as chicks, lambs, and calves. What other things do you see when spring comes?

Quiet Bunny’s Many Colors
by Lisa McCue

Quiet Bunny loves many things about spring, but the things he loves best are the beautiful colors. One morning, Quiet Bunny notices that the sun, butterfly, and ducklings are yellow, a spring color. He notices that he is white and brown, which he thinks are winter colors. Quiet Bunny wants to be yellow, too, but how will he do this? Then some honey falls on his head out of the beehive. Quiet Bunny uses the honey to put yellow flowers all over his fur. Now he is yellow. The bees start buzzing around Quiet Bunny, and this causes him to fall into the stream, where all of the yellow flowers come off. In the steam, Quiet Bunny sees green grass, leaves, frogs, and lily pads. He decides that he wants to be green. Quiet Bunny covers up with some lily pads, and now he is green. The lily pads cover his eyes, though, as he is hopping, and he trips and rolls down the hill. Quiet Bunny lands in a blueberry patch, and sees the blueberries, blue jay, and the sky. He also notices that the blueberries have dyed his paws blue. Quiet Bunny uses the juice of the blueberries to make all his fur blue. Then it begins to rain, and the blue color fades from Quiet Bunny’s fur. What other colors will Quiet Bunny see? Will Quiet Bunny be able to stay one of the spring colors? Will he ever be happy being a white and brown bunny?

Skunk’s Spring Surprise
by Lesléa Newman and illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev

Skunk has dreamed of her friends as she has been sleeping over the winter. When she wakes up, she knows that spring has arrived, and it is time for her to go play with her friends. Skunk goes looking for her friends, but she cannot find them anywhere. Skunk wonders if her friends have forgotten her or do not want to be her friend anymore. Skunk is angry, but she decides to go down to the lake to get a drink. When Skunk gets there, she finds her friends ready to surprise her. Skunk’s friends want to put on surprise talent show for her. Fox tells a joke that makes Frog laugh really hard. Turtle does a little dance for Skunk. Chipmunk juggles nuts and sticks and then teaches Skunk how to juggle, too. Then the friends put on an acrobat show for Skunk. They also sing a song and do some more tricks for her. Skunk tells them that she also has a surprise for her friends. What will Skunk’s surprise be? Will her friends enjoy her surprise?

Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa: Spring Babies
by Erica Silverman and with pictures painted by Betsy Lewin

One spring night, Kate wakes Cocoa up, because they need to go watch the cows. Cocoa is really tired and thinks cows are too much work, but he takes Kate out to watch the cows. Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa hear a cow mooing really loud. Cowgirl Kate recognizes Sweety Pie’s moo, and follows it to find Sweety Pie. Cowgirl Kate calls her mom and dad to tell them that Sweety Pie is going to have her calf, but Cocoa tells her it is too late. They both look down at the little baby calf. What will Cocoa think about the little baby calf? In the next story, Cowgirl Kate is trying to rope a calf, when Cocoa decides to act like the little calf, too. Cowgirl Kate tells him that they need to work, not play like the little calf. Cowgirl Kate knows a way to get Cocoa’s attention back to work. What do you think she will do? In the next story, Jenny comes to see Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa. Jenny brought Cocoa a peppermint the last time she came, and Cocoa cannot wait for another one. Jenny does not bring a peppermint, but she does bring a puppy for Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa. Will Cocoa be happy with the surprise? In the final story, Cocoa and Peppermint are scared by something in the barn. Cocoa tells Cowgirl Kate that there is a ghost in the barn. Cowgirl Kate goes to see if it is a ghost. What will she find in the barn that has scared the horse and dog?

Green Time

Stick

by Steven Breen

This book is mostly wordless. At the beginning we learn that Stick likes to do things on his own, without any help. What we also find out is that Stick is not very good at it. When he tries to jump in the water by himself, he does not see the turtle coming up out of the water. The turtle does not see him either, and Stick ends up jumping onto the turtle’s shell. Then one day at lunchtime, Stick tries to catch a yummy dragonfly, and he ends up with his tongue stuck to the dragonfly. Then the dragonfly carries him as it flies around. As they are flying along, Stick and the dragonfly face an alligator, a cat, a surprised lady, and a dog in a car. Then the dragonfly flies into the city, and Stick loses his hold on the dragonfly, only to land on the nose of a horse pulling a wagon. The horse throws Stick off of his nose, and Stick ends up stuck to some balloons this time, which surprises a few more people (and a dog). Stick finally gets loose from the balloons and lands on a car, then a motorcycle, a remote-control plane, and then a seagull. Will Stick ever be able to make it home to his mommy? Will Stick learn his lesson about asking for help? How about the one about trying to get something that is too big?

The Green Line: A Walk in the Park
by Polly Farquharson

One spring day a child and his mother take a walk in the park. As they go on this walk, there is a green line that goes from one picture of the things that they see on the walk to the next. There are beautiful flowers, some which are peeking out through a fence, and lots of really green grass. The child also talks about what they did at the park, such as rolling down a hill, and running away from a stick that looks like a snake. All the while, the green lines are following the child as the child goes. The child sees a ladybug, a dog, and a beetle hiding in a buttercup. Then it starts to rain, and the child and mother get under a tree to stay out of the rain. What other fun will the child have before the walk is over? Can you explain some of your trips by imaging pictures of what you did in your head with your own special line running through them?

Nibbles: A Green Tale
by Charlotte Middleton

Nibbles likes something even more than he likes to play soccer. He likes to eat dandelion leaves for every meal and as snacks. In fact, all of the guinea pigs in Dandeville like to eat (and drink) dandelion leaves. Then one day, the dandelions start to run out, and the only dandelion leaves to be found cost a lot of money on the Internet. The guinea pigs now have to eat cabbage, instead. Then Nibbles sees one dandelion growing outside his bedroom window. He really wants to eat it, but he knows that it might be the last dandelion plant ever. So he goes to the library and checks out a book about dandelions. He decides to take good care of the dandelion and help it grow, but watering it and protecting it from insects. Nibbles has to wait a long time, until the dandelion is ready. What do you think that Nibbles is going to do with his dandelion? What will he do about dandelion leaves in the future?

Lizette’s Green Sock
by Catharina Valckx

On a beautiful sunny day, Lizette decides to go for a walk. On her walk she finds one green sock, and she decides to wear the green sock. She continues on her walk until she sees Tim and Tom. They tease Lizette, because she is only wearing one sock. So Lizette decides to look for the other sock. Lizette climbs the tallest tree, but she cannot see the other sock from there. Then she decides to go look in the pond. Lizette asks Mr. Fish, but he has not seen a sock. When Lizette gets home, she is very upset. Her mother washes the sock and hangs it out on the line after telling Lizette that it is not good to wear socks she has found on the ground (they are dirty). Lizette waits for the sock to dry, but then her friend Bert comes by. Will Bert like her new sock? Will Liz find the other green sock? Will Lizette want to keep wearing her sock as a sock?

Some New Books for March

Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream
by Jenny Ham with pictures by Julia Kuo

Clara Lee knows that today will be a good day by the way the leaves are falling in the yard. Clara Lee (as she is called by everyone) is raking leaves with her friend, Shayna, and her little sister, Emmeline. After they rake up the leaves into three piles, they play a game, do a dance, and say a toast to the fall with apple cider. Then they jump in to the leaves. Shayna asks Clara Lee if she will try out for Little Miss Apple Pie at the Apple Blossom Festival, and Clara Lee has thought a lot about it. The Apple Blossom Festival is a big celebration in their town. There is bobbing for apples, caramel and candy apples, and plenty of other foods made with apples. There is also a parade with floats, which “very important” people get to ride on, and that is why being Little Miss Apple Pie is so important. Miss Apple Pie and Little Miss Apple Pie get to ride on a float. In order to become Miss Apple Pie, though, she will have to make a speech in front of the whole school. Last year, Clara Lee was too scared to make her speech, and she is still afraid. That night, Clara Lee dreams of the Mustache Man, who chases Clara Lee and her grandfather with bug spray. She wakes up, but after waking up her sister, Emmeline makes her feel better about her dream. The next morning, her grandfather has her tell him about her dream, and he is good at telling what dreams mean. Her grandfather tells her that what happens in the dream is change, which is “good luck.” The next day, Clara Lee starts to believe that it was a lucky dream, because good things start happening to her. She is even able to climb all the way up to the top of the rope in gym, and Clara Lee has never been able to do that before. Clara Lee tells her friend, Shayna, about her good luck, but Shayna is not certain that she believes Clara Lee. Clara Lee believes that maybe her “good luck” will hold on through the Little Miss Apple Pie speech that Thursday morning. When she signs up to do the speech, though, another girl in her class makes Clara Lee feel that she does not deserve to win as much as the girl does. Other things happen that make Clara Lee doubt that her “good luck” will last. Will Clara Lee’s luck hold out until Thursday? Will Clara Lee be able to fix the bad things that happen? Will Clara be able to be Little Miss Apple Pie and get to wear her Korean dress on the float?

Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile
by Gloria Houston and illustrated by Susan Condie Lamb

Dorothy loves to read books as a little girl, and she wants to be a librarian when she grows up. So Dorothy goes to school to learn to be a good librarian, and she reads almost all the books in the school library while she is there. She finally graduates and is ready to work in a library. Then she meets someone, falls in love, gets married, and she moves to a farm with him. Dorothy likes her garden, and her neighbors all bring her their books to share. The town has no library, though, where Dorothy can be the librarian. Then one day all of the people who like to read have a meeting. Dr. Masters tells everyone about a rolling library that the town used to have that was carried on an oxen wagon. Miss Dorothy would like to have a real library, but the town works together to buy a bookmobile to use to deliver the books around town. The people of the town also bring Dorothy books to add to books she already has for the bookmobile. Dorothy takes the books to every school, farm, post office grocery store, and parking lot. Dorothy even carries books to people’s houses when the weather is bad, and they cannot leave their houses. One day, the bookmobile slides into the river, and after a farmer on his tractor pulls the bookmobile out, Dorothy checks out a book of poetry to him. Will Dorothy ever get to be a librarian at a pretty brick library like the one she always went to as a little girl? Will other people find out all the things Dorothy has done as the town’s librarian? Will Dorothy ever find out how her books helped some of the people in her town?

Argus
by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Andrea Wesson

In Sally’s class, they are doing a science project. When the teacher hands out eggs to the students, Sally notices that her egg is different from everyone else’s. The children keep the eggs in an incubator until they hatch. All of the other students have little chicks, but Sally’s chick is green, scales, and big yellow eyes. Sally names him Argus. Every day, the students measure and weigh their chicks, and Argus grows much faster than everyone else’s chick. Argus’s drawing (by Sally) is also different than the other students’ drawings. Argus also tries to eat things that are different than the other chicks. What does he try to eat that upsets the teacher? Argus also has a special place to dig when the class goes outside to see how their chicks peck in the grass. Sally is not sure that she likes having a chick that is different from everyone else’s chicks, but the teacher wants her to keep Argus. Then one day, Argus is not in his special area when Sally goes to bring him back inside. Will Sally be happy that Argus is gone? Will they be able to find him? Will Sally ever be happy that she has a chick that is different?

Tony Baloney
by Pam Muñoz Ryan and Edwin Fotheringham

Tony Baloney is a macaroni penguin who loves lots of things, such as anything with wheels and his stuffed buddy, Dandelion. Tony does not like to get into trouble, but he cannot seem to help it. Tony is in the middle of his family, but Dandelion helps him feel special. When he plays with his big sister, Tony is always the cat. He is not happy about it, but he cannot take his sister when she gives him “the look.” When Tony gets tired of his sisters, Dandelion misbehaves, and Tony decides to take his important stuff to his hidey-space. After his Momma and Poppa talk to him about his behavior, Tony likes to talk about it with Dandelion. Dandelion is a great listener. Tony and Dandelion also know they need to say they are sorry. Will Tony and Dandelion be able to say they are sorry? How long will Tony and Dandelion behave before they get into trouble again? What could cause them to get into trouble?