Some New Books

Grandpa’s Tractor

by Michael Garland

Grandpa Joe is taking his grandson, Timmy, to see the farm where he grew up. A lot of the farm had been sold a long time ago, but there are still things to see there. Grandpa Joe tells Timmy that the farm used to be big and beautiful, when there were no other houses around it. Now the house and barn are falling apart. Then Grandpa Joe tells Timmy about the most important thing a farmer can own, a tractor. Grandpa Joe shows Timmy where his father’s tractor is still sitting. Timmy sees that the old tractor has flat tires, the paint is almost all gone, and plants are growing out of the engine. Grandpa Joe tells Timmy that the tractor was brand new with red paint when he was a little boy. Grandpa Joe’s father used to let Grandpa Joe drive the tractor on his lap when they were plowing the fields. Then after plowing the fields, the tractor is used to plant corn or alfalfa for the cows to eat. Timmy imagines his great-grandfather and grandfather riding around doing chores on the old tractor. Then Grandpa Joe tells Timmy that at harvest time, the crop was stored in the silo for the winter. In the fall, Grandpa Joe tells Timmy his father would take them to pick fresh apples off the tree. All the time that Grandpa Joe is telling Timmy about the tractor, Timmy is seeing the story is his mind. Timmy can also picture the family using the house and the barn in his imagination, too. Does Timmy agree with his grandfather about the tractor being the most important thing a farmer owns?

Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World

by Susan Hughes

Education is so important that the United Nations says it is a basic human right that people have. Unfortunately, not every child in the whole world is able to go to school. According to UNICEF (and the author), over 100 million children around the world have never gone to a school before. Some children live to far away from school, some families need their children to help work, and other children are not allowed to go to school for various reasons. There are a lot of people that want to change this for their children, and they have created some incredible schools that the author discusses within this nonfiction book. In Bangladesh, the school is held on boats. The boats pick the students up along the shore, hold class within them, and then drop the children back off again. This way, the flooding during monsoon season does not stop the children from learning. The children even have computers and the Internet on the boat! In Gando, Burkina Faso (in Africa), the school was falling down, and the people did not have the ability to create a new one. Then architect, Diébédo Kéré came up with a design that would use the clay from the area to create a new, brighter, and cooler school for the children. His design even won awards. In a village in China called Dongzhong, the teachers would not come to teach where there was no electricity or running water. The school is also in a cave. After hearing about the village, people all over the world helped to give the children more teachers, electricity, and school books. Unfortunately, China later closed the school and built another one. What kinds of things do you find really cool in this book about how children go to school?

Jo MacDonald Saw a Pond

by Mary Quattlebaum and illustrated by Laura J. Bryant

You know the song, but this story is a little different. Jo MacDonald goes down to the pond, and she sees some different things. First Jo sees some reeds, which swish-swish here and swish-swish there. Next, Jo sees some fish. Those fish blurp-blurp here and blurp-blurp there. Then, Jo sees a frog. The frog gives a croak-croak here and a croak-croak there. Then, Jo sees some ducks. The ducks quack-quack here and quack-quack there. What other kinds of things do you think Jo MacDonald would see by the pond? What kinds of sounds do you think those things would make?

Don’t forget to sing the song to yourself as you read.

Scrawny Cat

by Phyllis Root and illustrated by Alison Friend

There is a scrawny cat creeping down the street, and this cat is lonely, little, and lost. The scrawny cat used to have someone who named him, played with him, and petted him. Now people just call him “Get out of here,” but he knows that is not his name. After another person tells the cat to go away, a dog starts to chase the cat. The cat runs down to the docks and hides in a dinghy. After it starts to rain, the dog runs away. The cat huddles under the seat in the dinghy and sleeps. When the cat wakes up, all he sees around him is water. Then suddenly, the cat sees some land and a house. A lady comes out of the house to see what came in during the storm. Will the lady want to keep the scrawny little cat? Will she give him some nice food to eat? Will she finally give him a real name?

Some More Craft Fun

The Kid’s Guide to Making Scrapbooks & Photo Albums!: How to Collect, Design, Assemble, Decorate

by Laura Check

Have you ever thought about using the pictures and things you collected from a trip or special event to create a scrapbook? This nonfiction book can help you complete one. There are several chapters within this book that include: collecting and sorting your stuff, making almost-instant albums, cool covers, papers galore, jazzing it up, photography fun, and creative lettering and journaling. The important thing that the author wants readers to remember is that there is no right or wrong way to make a scrapbook and to have lots of fun while making it. Some other tools that you might need are rulers, different shapes, papers, paper trimmers or shape cutters, pens, protective sleeves or containers, punches, rubber stamps, stencils or templates, and stickers. There are also some suggestions about different kinds of paper, things, to collect, and other supplies. There are tips on how to cut the paper, secure the paper and photos to the album, and mount the pictures. The first big step is to take everything for your scrapbook and decide the order and amount of things that you want to include in your scrapbook. There are several ways to choose from to complete your scrapbook. You can punch three holes in the side of the paper and put it in an easy loose-ring binder, use a hole punch to make holes all down the sides of the paper and tie a string through each of the holes, make an accordion book, make a wrap-around album, and many more. Most of the pages have an illustration that shows you how to create the type of album that you would like to put your memories in. This book has lots of great ideas to help you get started.

Junk Drawer Jewelry

by Rachel di Salle and Ellen Warwick

Did you know that you can make really cool jewelry from “junk” that you just have lying around the house? In this nonfiction book, these authors will show you some cool jewelry items that you can make with this “junk.” Before getting started, make sure to look at the safety tips that the authors have listed to make sure that you can get your jewelry made without anyone getting hurt (especially yourself). Some of the tools you will need are pliers and wire cutters, shrinkable plastic, clasps, jump rings, head pins and eye pins, earring wires, and ribbon closures. Some of the jewelry creations include: washer rings, vinyl wristbands, sequined earrings, button bonanza bracelet, galaxy-girl charm bracelet, and daring duct tape wristband. Each piece of jewelry shows a drawing of each step to take during the process of making the piece of jewelry, and there is also a picture of the finished piece at the beginning of each piece. At the end of the book are some templates to use when making some of the pieces.

You Can Weave!: Projects for Young Weavers

by Kathleen Monaghan and Hermon Joyner

You do not necessarily need to know how to crochet or knit in order to create a woven masterpiece. This nonfiction book can show you some other creative ways of creating woven projects. The chapters include: The Weaving Process, Cardboard Looms, Frame Looms, Back Strap Looms, and Beads, Braids, and Baskets. The projects that the authors have included within this book get you introduced to weaving terms and techniques. One project is just weaving with construction paper. Each project has a picture of some finished projects, and there are pictures of each step of the process, too. Another material to use in weaving is straw, to create the second project with a straw loom (a bookmark). Some other projects are created with cardboard looms (mug rugs, tapestry, or woven pouch). You can also create a frame loom to create different styles of weave (such as plaid). Finally, you can use the back strap loom to create things like belts or bracelets. This book contains lots of methods and examples to find the one that is best for you. At the end of the book are some diagrams for creating the looms.

The New Jumbo Book of Easy Crafts

by Judy Ann Sadler and illustrated by Caroline Price

This book is filled with lots of fun ideas for making cool crafts. There are crafts to Imagine and Create, Wear and Use, Make and Play, and Decorate and Celebrate. At the beginning is a list of materials that you will need to use to make the crafts: glue, pipe cleaners, cardboard, and decorating supplies, along with things like cereal boxes, scrap paper, egg cartons, and plastic bottles. You might also get some items from the craft store, such as beads or buttons. One thing to make sure is to stay safe when making your crafts, having some adult supervision when using things like irons or knives, and wear clothes that you do not mind getting messy. Some of the crafts include: squashed-paint pictures, thumbuddies, paper weaving, cotton-ball sheep, button puppies, drinking-straw bead bracelets, a royal crown, button frame, braided bookmark, tissue-box dollhouses, puzzles, and many, many more.