July 31st is National Parent's Day

July 31st is National Parents’ Day!

Too Much Kissing!: and Other Silly Dilly Songs about Parents
by Alan Katz and illustrated by David Catrow

This is a collection of poems set to well known songs that show how children “feel” about their parents. The songs are filled with children lamenting their parents use of the cell phone (They’re Always on the Cell), parent’s food choices for their children (Disgusting Things), how short stories are at bedtime (My Mother Just Rushes Through Bedtime), and how they kiss each other and their children too much (Too Much Kissing!). Each song is silly, clever, and certainly funny.


















How to Raise Mom & Dad: Instructions from Someone Who Figured it Out
by Josh Lerman and illustrated by Greg Clarke

A big sister decides one day that her little brother is old enough to help her with their parents. His sister has learned that their parents need a lot of help, and she does her best to give them a hand each day. The sister’s advice starts with when to help wake up their mom and dad so that they will be awake enough to start their day. Then she tells him that you have to help them get dressed, eat breakfast, pack lunches (especially to include things like cookies and pudding), ask for things you want while they are driving to school (such as a puppy), choose harder homework (so that you can get help from your parents to keep their brains going), and play with your parents (to make sure they get enough exercise).
She only has her parents best interest at heart, and she wants to make sure that her brother feels the same way.

What Do Parents Do? (When You’re Not Home)
by Jeanie Franz Ransom and illustrated by Cyd Moore

Did you ever wonder what your parents do when you go stay at a friend’s house or with your grandparents? One boy has a theory about his parents. When he and his sister go to spend the night with their grandparents, he knows that his parents are doing things like jumping on the bed, sledding down the stairs on pillows, watching lots of television, ruining their appetites with junk food, dress up the dog, play video games, and stay up really late reading comic books. In the pictures you see all of these activities taking place in his mind, while he does things at his grandparents’ house. Of course, by the time the boy and his sister come home, his parents have everything cleaned up. They even tell him that they did not do much while he was gone, but the boy knows better.


















I'm Just Like My Mom= Me Parezco Tanto a Mi Mamá. I’m Just Like My Dad= Me Parezco Tanto a Mi Papá
by Jorge Ramos and illustrated by Akemi Gutiérrez

This book is both in English and Spanish and has a surprise, as it is two books in one. You can read either story by flipping the book over. In “I’m Just Like My Mom,” a little girl compares herself to her mother. They both have long hair, green eyes, sneeze the same way, and write letters with drawings on them. When the little girl asks who she looks like, her mother tells her that she sees the whole family in her daughter’s face. In “I’m Just Like My Dad,” the little girl’s brother compares himself to their father. They both have long legs, pointy noses, like to get up early, play soccer, and read before bed. The little boy also asks his father who he looks like, and his father tells him that he can see the whole family on his face.

Some New Books for July

Red Green Blue: A First Book of Colors
by Alison Jay

This book describes different colors using the characters from different nursery rhymes. On a rainy day that is grey, a little boy sees the three blind mice running from the farmer’s wife. He travels on a sees the yellow teapot that is short and stout, Miss Muffet and the black spider, the little brown mouse that ran up the hickory clock, and many others. Will the day stay grey and rainy? What other rhymes and colors will the little boy find?

Girl vs. Superstar
by Robin Palmer

Lucy B. Parker has just started sixth grade, and things are not going as well as she had hoped. Two of her friends “friend-dumped” her right before school started, her “sort-of friend” Marissa is driving her crazy, and her mother has been acting really weird and happy. Lucy knows something is up, but she is not prepared for what she finds out. It turns out that her mother has been dating someone for the past six weeks, and now she wants to introduce Lucy to him and his daughter. Then her mother tells her who she is dating, Laurel Moses’s father (actress and singer), and Lucy does not take it well. Laurel Moses is the reason for the “hat incident” that has plagued Lucy, and she is not looking forward to meeting her “archenemy.” When she does meet Alan and Laurel, it does not seem that it is going to work out for Lucy, but her mother really wants Lucy and Laurel to get along. Then Lucy finds out that Laurel’s life is not nearly as glamorous as she thought, and that they might have more in common than Lucy ever dreamed possible. Can Lucy give up her feelings of hurt and anger towards Laurel? Will she and Laurel become friends?

Wanted: The Perfect Pet
by Fiona Robertson

Henry wanted to get a dog more than he wanted anything else in the world. He had twenty-seven frogs, but it was not the same. He wanted a dog he could teach tricks to, and a dog would be the perfect pet for a boy. He decided one day to advertise for a dog in the newspaper. Far away from Henry, there was a duck that had no name and no friends. He was very lonely. Then the duck found the ad in the paper, and decided to be the “dog” that Henry wanted. He came up with a great dog disguise and went to meet Henry. Unfortunately, the duck was not very good at doing dog things, such as fetch or learning new tricks. Then his disguise fell off. Will the boy decide that a duck is a better pet than a dog? Will the duck no longer feel lonely?

Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog
by Adrienne Sylver and illustrated by Elwood H. Smith

The nonfiction book covers the history of the hot dog, beginning with the sausage becoming a popular snack in the Roman Empire (by Gaius, the chef of the emperor). Warning: this book tells you what sausage might be made off, so careful reading or you may never eat sausage again! On every page there are also little fun facts about the hot dog, different people, places, and where other favorite foods are from. The hot dog on the bun was first started because a hot dog vendor needed a way to sell the hot sausage to people without them burning their hands. He asked his brother-in-law, a baker, for some ideas, and his brother-in-law created the bun we all know today. Then in the late eighteen hundreds, the hot dog began to be sold during baseball games, and it quickly became a tradition to watch baseball and eat hot dogs. Then in 1957, July became National Hot Dog Month. Finally, there is a discussion on what kinds of things you can put on hot dogs, and the record for the most hot dogs eaten. At the end of the story are some recipes that the author has learned from her family.

Activities for the Summer

Here are some activities to do during the Summer!

Boredom Blasters: Brain Bogglers, Awesome Activities, Cool Comics, Tasty Treats, and More…
by Helaine Becker and illustrated by Claudia Davila

As the title says, this book is full of activities to keep you busy. There are magic tricks, jokes, comic strips, games, puzzles, crafts, and weird but yummy recipes. Some of the games include kangaroo wrestling, sharks and fish, and gerbil jailbreak. Some of the recipes include “gross-out gummi worms,” “alien candy (Truffle UFOs, Asteridough),” and fortune cookies. The brain bogglers include optical tricks, calculator tricks, and codes to break. There are many different kinds of activities that will keep you very busy.

Everybody Wins!: 150 Non-Competitive Games for Kids
by Cynthia MacGregor

Each game has the game’s name, how to play it, what materials will be needed, and the ages that are appropriate for each game. The games need very few, if any, materials, and they are divided up by Quiet Games, Beanbag Games, Active Games, Adventures in the Arts, and other Miscellaneous Activities. There are many games, such as Beep!, that work on skills (like the alphabet and especially their imagination) while playing the game. There is even a game that tells you how to make a “fortune teller” out of paper, and there is a game called “Blob Tag” where everyone who is tagged has to hold on to some part (hand, shirt, etc) of the person who tagged, cannot let go, and has to tag other players, if they can.

Organic Crafts: 75 Earth-Friendly Art Activities
by Kimberley Monaghan

At the beginning of this craft book, there are recipes for making your own glue, paste, and a cornstarch paint (later on, there is a paint recipe for creating paint from fruits and vegetables), some safety tips, and the things you can keep in an “Earth art box.” The crafts include a family tree, nature journal, twig trivet, a nature portrait, rock sculptures, pebble puppets, messy mats, and many, many more. Most of the materials that are used to create this crafts are from nature, such as leaves, rocks, sand, etc, and you can learn about the environment around you as you create your crafts.

Drawing: The Only Drawing Book You’ll Ever Need to be the Artist You’ve Always Wanted to Be
by Kathryn Temple

The beginning part of the book is very important. It says, “Everyone can draw.” The author has some important “life rules to draw by.” Then there is a list of drawing pencils, which ones draw what kind specific lines, different kinds of paper and erasers. The author also discusses different methods of drawing, such as scribble art, drawing without looking, how simple shapes can become great pictures, and how to join many simple shapes together to form a big picture. There is also discussion on shading, proportion and scale, using grids, and perspective. There are many great tips about drawing, and the author really tries to break the drawing process down into easy to follow steps.

July is National Ice Cream Month

July is National Ice Cream Month!

The Big Scoop
by Dorian Cirrone and illustrated by Liza Woodruff

Lindy Blues in the neighborhood “nose for news”, but even she is stumped by the latest “scoop” she has received. It seems that Mr. Hoop’s Super Scoop keeps disappearing and then reappearing, and she got this scoop from two very reliable sources, Joshua and Amy Becker. Lindy also needs a good news story for the news the next evening, and so she agrees to look into it. Then when Lindy walks with Joshua and Amy to look for the missing ice cream shop, they actually find it where it was supposed to be (after a right by the blue flowers). Amy is shocked, because the ice cream shop was not there that morning when she went to find it. Then she starts her next story about flowers and their biological clocks. It seems that certain flowers only open at certain times of the day. Will Lindy be able to find out why Amy could not find the ice cream shop? Does the reason she could not find it have anything to do with Lindy’s other story about flowers?

Ice Cream: The Full Scoop
by Gail Gibbons

This nonfiction book discusses the history of ice cream and how it is made. No one is exactly sure when the first ice cream was created, but it is thought that the Chinese mixed snow, milk, and ice together to create a treat 3,000 years ago. Then Marco Polo brought recipes of flavored ices to Europe, and when cream was added to those ices, there was ice cream. Hundreds of years ago, it was hard to make ice cream, because you had to collect ice during the winter and keep it cold. Then in 1841, Nancy Johnson created the hand-cranked ice cream maker, which made it much easier to make ice cream. There is a diagram that shows how an ice cream maker works. Then you can learn how ice cream is made in the factory until it gets on to the shelves at the store. There is even the story about how ice cream was first put into a cone at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. At the end of the book, there is some more fun facts about ice cream.

Ice Cream Soup
by Frank Modell

Marvin and Milton both love parties, but their mothers have decided not to throw them birthday parties this year. The boys then decide to make their own birthday party. Marvin says that he will make the paper hats and bring Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey. Milton says that he will have all of the balloons. So both boys go home to start preparing for the party, and they write all of their invitations. The next day, the boys start to make the cake and ice cream. They start with the cake, but it does not turn out like they thought it would. The go to Mr. Hassenfus (the cake maker) for advice, but he does not help them. They have just as hard a time making ice cream, which soon becomes ice cream soup. They go to Mr. Cleaver for advice, but he does not help them. Will the boys be able to figure out a way to have cake and ice cream for their party?

The Banana Split from Outer Space
by Catherine Siracusa

Stanley’s Ice Cream Stand had 26 different flavors of ice cream, and it was always busy, because it was on the road to town. His banana split was everyone’s favorite, though. Soon, a new highway was built near his stand, but Stanley was not worried, because he thought people enjoyed his ice cream too much. Unfortunately, no one stops at his ice cream stand anymore. So he decides to build a big sign to draw attention to his stand. This does not bring in any customers, but soon, a flying saucer flies into the sign. He helps Zelmo from Mars out of the saucer, and Zelmo tells him that he came to Earth looking for new flavors of ice cream to take back to Mars. Stanley makes several banana splits for Zelmo, and then Zelmo teaches Stanley how to make a vengo glop with floog (a three-tiered banana split with jelly beans). Stanley tells Zelmo that no one comes to his stand anymore, and Zelmo helps him make a sign to get more attention. When that does not work, Zelmo offers to take Stanley back to Mars with him. Will Stanley go to Mars in order to keep making ice cream treats? Will he find a way to get people to come to his ice cream stand?

Some New Books for June

Mac Slater Hunts the Cool
by Tristan Bancks

Mac Slater is an inventor who has never really thought of himself as “cool.” Then one day the creators of Coolhunters offer him the job of finding cool after his attempt of using the “flying bike” that Mac and his friend Paul created failed. The creators think that he would be great as a coolhunter, but Mac is not so sure he even knows what cool is. He also has to compete with the popular girl, Cat, to see who will ultimately become the coolhunter of his area for Coolhunters. They are both given a camera for a “vlog” for each day of a week, and the person with the most votes wins. Can Mac balance friendships, his inventions, find enough “cool” things, and still beat Cat to become the next coolhunter?

Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum
by Meghan McCarthy

Gum has been around since the time of the Ancient Greeks. They chewed the sap of the mastic tree. This book discusses other chewing that has gone on throughout history. Gum was created just for chewing or to cure things like stomachaches. The factory owned by the Fleer family, however, wanted to create a new kind of gum. With this gum, people could blow bubbles. Walter Diemer, an account for the family, decided to help create this gum. Many disappointments lead the boss to give up, but Walter keeps going. Finally, he manages to create a mixture that can make bubbles. However, the mixture became too hard to chew the next day, so he was back at creating again. Finally, Walter creates bubble gum, and he dies it pink, because pink was the only color available. Once they started selling it in the store, it was an instant hit, especially with children. At the end of the book are some interesting facts about Walter and gum, such as chewing nonstop for a year straight will help you lose eleven pounds.

Cats' Night Out
by Caroline Stutson and illustrated by J. Klassen

It is Saturday night, and the cats are out to dance. How many cats are dancing and what kind of dancing do they do? Two of the cats samba, while four boogie in their poodle skirts and saddle shoes. Each cat also wears a different outfit as they dance. By the time you get to the end of the book, twenty cats are dancing the conga in florals, plaids, and stripes. Will the cats continue their dance, even if the neighbors might not be enjoying the noise?

Zoomer
by Ned Young

While Mom is out of town, it is Dad’s job to get the three pups ready for school. Hooper and Cooper get to work making their beds, but Zoomer is getting ready for his busy day (as Power Puppy). He also tells Hooper and Cooper that he is not going to school today, but they do not believe him. As his brothers and father continue getting ready for school, Zoomer works to blow the world’s biggest bubble, build a castle out of dog food, and make a brontosaurus out of sand. Will Zoomer’s father be able to stop Zoomer from doing incredible things, like drawing a picture of the universe, long enough to get ready for school? Why has Zoomer decided he is not going to school that day?

Beach Books to Celebrate the Beginning of Summer

The First Day of Summer is June 21st!
Have a Fun Day at the Beach!

Beachcombing: Exploring the Seashore
by Jim Arnosky

This book tells you everything you need to know to become a beachcomber, including what tools you will need (sunblock, sunglasses, hat, and bucket), what kinds of shells to look out for, the different creatures you might see while you are walking on the beach (crabs, jellyfish, or coral), and some other things you might see (coconuts, birds). Each subject has a little definition and some cool facts. See if you can find some of these things the next time you are out on the beach.

Lottie’s New Beach Towel
by Petra Mathers

As Lottie is getting the picnic ready, she receives a package from her Aunt Mattie. It is a new beach towel, and Lottie cannot wait to use it on her picnic. When she gets to the beach, the sand is too hot to walk on, but her new towel comes in handy. She jumps onto the cooler, then puts down the towel, and then keeps this up until she gets to the water. After a swim, she uses the towel to dry off. Soon, her friend Herbie arrives, and they go off in his little boat. Suddenly, the motor dies, and they are stuck. Lottie, though, thinks of using her towel as a sail, and they soon make it to land. As they are eating lunch, they see a strip of white flying by them into the ocean. It is the veil of a little mouse bride, and she is very upset. Lottie suggests that the bride wear her towel, instead. She found so many ways to use the towel that she decides to tell her story to Aunt Mattie, and she writes her a letter.

Splashing by the Shore: Beach Activities for Kids
by Lisa Mullarkey and illustrations by Debra Spina Dixon

This nonfiction book is full of activities that can be done on the beach. The first step is to make sure that you have everything you will need on the beach to have fun and be safe. So do not forget sunscreen, sunglasses, and plenty of water. Then there are a few things you should know about the beach, in order to keep everyone happy, such keeping your music down and not bringing glass containers. It is always important to be safe when out in the sun and in the ocean, so never swim alone and use the SPF that fits you best. There are some fun games to play at the beach and some ideas for crafts that can be made from things you find at the beach. Finally, there are some cool ideas for having your own beach party.

Summerhouse Time
by Eileen Spinelli

This fiction book is written in verse, and the verses talk about a family’s “Summerhouse Time,” where the whole family rents a cottage for a month by the beach and has a lot of fun together. The months of June and July are spent getting ready for the trip, and the family buys books and other things (like puzzles and games) that can be used for the trip. While all of the preparation is going on, Sophie notices that her father is acting strangely, but he will not tell her why. Sophie is so excited to see the rest of her family, especially her cousin, Colleen, but Colleen does not seem to want to spend time with Sophie anymore (or anyone else). Her Aunt Liz and Uncle Dave are mad at each other and not talking. Her cousin Tammy is driving her crazy with questions. Will Sophie be able to make it through the summer and have as good of a time as she usually has at the Summertime House? Can she get her cousin to smile again? Will the rest of her family have fun, too?

June 14th is Flag Day

June 14th is Flag Day!

You’re a Grand Old Flag
by George M. Cohan and illustrations by Warren Kimble

This is the song that was written by George M. Cohan with beautiful illustrations that show the symbols of the United States with the flag in every illustration. There are lighthouses, snowmen, and even scarecrows wearing the flag proudly. At the end of the book, there is a little bit about the writer of the song, the flag itself (first established on June 14, 1777), and the sheet music and words to the song.




















The Life and Times of Betsy Ross
by Susan Sales Harkins and William H. Harkins

Many people know the legend of Betsy Ross, where she was asked by George Washington to sew a flag that would represent America free from England. This biography is about the life of the woman who is said to have sewn the first flag of America, and how the events in her life led up to that moment. The book is also full of facts about the events leading up to the revolution and the revolution itself. One of the chapters also discusses why we think Betsy Ross is the first person to have sewn the flag. Her grandson, William J. Canby, told the story he had heard from his grandmother about sewing the flag. He tried to prove the story, but he could find no written proof. George Preble included Canby’s story in his A History of the Flag, and that is how we all know the story of Betsy Ross. Unfortunately, there is still no written proof that George Washington asked her to sew the flag, or that Betsy Ross was really the first person to sew the new American flag.
















The Flag We Love
by Pan Muňoz Ryan and illustrated by Ralph Masiello

This book has a rhyming dedication to the flag of the United States, and at the bottom of the rhyme on each page is a little bit of information about the rhyme on the page. For example, the “Pledge of Allegiance” was written by Francis Bellamy and first placed in a children’s magazine in 1892, and Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” after observing the flag still waving after the bombing of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. There are also many other interesting facts about the flag throughout the book, and the illustrations show these facts and the parts of the poem in beautiful detail.

















Star and Stripes: The Story of the American Flag
by Sarah L. Thomson and illustrated by Bob Dacey and Debra Bandelin

This nonfiction book discusses the flag of the United States and where it can be found (such as on the moon, in parades, and at schools), why the flag was created, and how the flag came to look the way that it looks today. It was in 1818 that Congress decided on the thirteen white and red stripes, but they also decided that there would be a star for every state, but it was not until almost a hundred years later that it was decided that those stars would be in rows, as it is today. Today we see the flag in many different places, and even at times of sadness, like war, people fly the flag. At the end of the book, there is a little section about Betsy Ross.

June is National Rose Month

June is National Rose Month

The Blue Rose
by Maurice Baring and pictures by Anne Dalton

There was once an Emperor in China who had a beautiful and wise daughter, and though he was old, he wanted to see her married to someone who was worthy of her before he died. So he decided that only the suitor who brought back the Blue Rose would marry his daughter. Many of the suitors said this was impossible and left, but many of the others went looking for this Blue Rose. One suitor went to a nearby kingdom and stole a large sapphire in the shape of a rose, but this was not the Blue Rose. One suitor went to a shopkeeper for a blue rose, and the shopkeeper died a white rose blue. This was not the rose that the princess was looking for, though. The Lord Chief Justice had a china cup with blue roses painted on it made, and though the princess kept the beautiful cup, it was not the blue rose she was looking for. Will any suitor be able to find the Blue Rose? Will the princess be happy with the suitor who finds it?

Time to Smell the Roses
by Michael Hoeye

Hermux Tantamoq is busy preparing for his wedding when he reads an article about a squirrel’s body that had washed up on the shores of Thorny End. The mayor says it was an accident, but Hermux is not convinced. There is a battle going on between Reezor Bleesom and his rival, Tucka Mertslin over their cosmetics and perfume in Thorny End (which could be part of the mystery). The clocktower needs repairing, too, and Hermux hopes he (as a watchmaker) can get the job. He also tries to buy a bouquet of roses for his fiancée and finds a very strange bee there with a monogram on its stomach. Is this bee tied to the mystery of what’s going on in Thorny End? When he is called by the mayor of Thorny End, he thinks that he going to fix the clocktower. While he is at Thorny End, he finds that he is being hired to look for the mayor’s son, instead. During his investigation, Hermux finds something that ties the missing son and those roses he bought for his fiancée to Tucka Mertslin and her Institute of Positive Thinking, and then he finds out that the bees (like the one that stung him) have a tie to the Institute, too. Will Hermux be able to find the missing son? Will he be able to figure out what is going on at Thorny End?

Rosamund
by Janice Johnson and illustrations by Deborah Haeffele

In England during the reign of Henry II, a new rose grew that was different than any other rose that had grown before. The rose was named Rose Mundi, and its name came from the wife, Rosamund, of the nobleman of the lands where it grew. Over the years, the daughters of the family were often named Rosamund. As time went on, and England changed, the land of this family grew smaller and smaller, and soon, one member of the family had to move his family to America. His daughter, Rosamund, brought some cuttings from a rosebush with her. Then as people moved west, the roses traveled with the family into the Oregon Territory. Rose always had the rosebush there at her home, and when she became an old lady, even though the house had changed, she still had these roses in the fence. Rose’s great-great granddaughter found the land where the house had once been, and she gathered some cuttings of the rose to put in her garden. Will the rose still continue to live in this family’s garden? Will the name Rosamund still continue to be a family name?

Aunt Mary's Rose
by Douglas Wood and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Douglas’s Aunt Mary had told him that if he took care of a rose, one day a little bit of him would be inside it. Douglas looked as close at the rose as he could, but he could not see any of himself in the rose. He tells Aunt Mary about it, and she tells him it is a feeling that you get, not something that can be seen. Then she tells him a story about when she was a little girl and her father told her about taking care of the roses and becoming a part of them. Then when her nephews (Douglas’s father and uncle) had no place else to go, she had helped take care of them when they came to live with their grandparents. Mary would make sure that ate their vegetables, wake them up in the mornings, and read them stories at bedtime. The boys also helped with the chores, and Douglas has also helped Aunt Mary with some of those same chores. After grandpa died, Mary took them out to the rosebush and told them what grandpa had told her. They also helped take care of the rosebush like their aunt and grandfather. When they had to move into town because they could not afford to live on the farm anymore, they took the rosebush with them and kept taking care of it. Soon both boys were grown up, and they went off to war. Douglas’s uncle did not make it back from the war. However, parts of both grandpa and Douglas’s uncle are part of the rosebush, and if Douglas takes care of it, he can become part of it, too.

Some New Books for May

Small Florence: Piggy Pop Star!
by Claire Alexander

Florence was shy and small but happy, and she has two older sisters. Her sisters take singing lessons, and Florence wishes she could be a ”piggy pop star.” So Florence sings in secret, and soon she is singing to her friends. Then one night, Florence and her sisters hear an announcement on television where the winner of a singing competition will get to perform on television. Florence wants to sing with her sisters, but she is too shy and nervous to sing for her sisters. So they tell her that she cannot sing with them. Florence does listen to them rehearse, though, and soon, she has their songs memorized. The night of the competition, many singers were there to join the competition. Florence waited and waited to see her sisters. However, when her sisters get onto the stage, they are suddenly shy and nervous. What will Florence do to help her sisters out? Will she become the “piggy pop star” that she dreams of becoming?

Miss Brooks Loves Books (and I Don’t)
by Barbara Bottner and illustrated by Michael Emberley

Miss Brooks the librarian loves books, and she loves to wear different costumes when she reads different stories to the children. One little girl does not understand why Miss Brooks gets so excited about books. In May, Miss Brooks tells them about Book Week, and that she wants them all to choose and book, wear a costume, and tell the rest of the class about it. The little girl tells her that she does not like books the same way, but Miss Brooks believes that she will find a book that she really likes. Miss Brooks gives her book after book, but she cannot find one that she likes. Then she finds one about an ogre with warts. Which book do you think the girl likes? Will she like sharing this book with the other children?

The Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza
by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger

Anna loves to read, and she always seems to have a book with her. She always likes going to the library to find new books to read. Her friends all have things they love, too, such as Emily loves dancing, Nicole loves soccer, and Bitsy loves painting. They all love to go to Petunia’s, though, and share their favorite candy, jellybeans. The girls decided to call themselves “The Jellybeans,” because they were all different but went well together. In school, they were all assigned a book report for a Book Bonanza. Anna was happy to take the other Jellybeans to the library with her. The librarian helps Anna find books about dancing, soccer, and painting for her friends to read. Anna also finds a book about fairytales that she would love to do a report on. The next day, Anna gets scared when it is her turn to share her report. Will she be able to give her report to the class? Will her friends help her through this scary time?

The Sandwich Swap
by Queen Rania Al Abdullah and Kelly DiPucchio and illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Salma and Lily are best friends, and they have a lot of fun drawing and playing together. They also eat lunch together. Lily eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Salma eats hummus and pita sandwiches every day for lunch. Both of the girls believe that the other’s sandwich looks gross, and one day, Lily decides to say something about it to Salma. Salma gets very angry, and insults Lily’s sandwich, too. The girls are angry with each other and no longer draw or play together. At lunch the girls do not sit at the same table any more, and the other children also choose sides and say mean things back and forth to one another about food. Then one day, this leads to a food fight, and both Salma and Lily get into trouble for this. Will they be able to get past their differences and be friends again? Will they get the other children to be friends, too?

May 25th is National Tap Dance Day

May 25th is National Tap Dance Day
Here are some dancing books to enjoy.

Prancing Dancing Lily
by Marsha Diane Arnold and pictures by John Manders

The other cows are concerned that all Lily does is prance and dance, and this can be very distracting when they all line up to go into the barn for milking. None of the cows look forward to the day when Lily will lead the line. So one day Lily decides to go find a place where she will fit in as she dances and prances. First, she goes to a square dance, but she writes home to tell the other cows that it is not where she fits. She also tries out as a dancer for the Radio City Music Hall in New York City and on board a cruise ship, but she does not feel that either place is a good fit for her. Soon she travels all over the world, but she is still unable to find a place to fit in. Then on a small island in the Caribbean, Lily learns a dance that will help her keep the cows in line back home. What do you think that dance is? Do you think the other cows will like it?



















Meet the Dancers: From Ballet, Broadway, and Beyond
by Amy Nathan

This nonfiction book is about many different kinds of famous dancers, how they decided they wanted to dance, what training they had to become dancers, and the kind of dancing that they do. There are pictures of the dancers taken while they are dancing and also a picture from when they were children. Becoming a dancer takes a lot of hard work, and each dancer shares how much work they have put into their dancing, and there is also a sample of their schedule, so you can see how much work it takes to put on the shows that they perform in. At the end of the book, there is a glossary with definitions of many different types of dancing or dancing terms.



















Fritz Danced the Fandango
by Alicia Potter and illustrated by Ethan Long

Fritz is one of the few goats that know the fandango. He dances the fandango all over the place. The other goats like to make fun of Fritz’s fandango, and he decides that he would much rather be with a herd that did like to dance the fandango. So he sets off to find this new herd. On his journey he meets a sheep named Liesl who does not dance the fandango, but she does like to yodel. She comes with him on his search. Fritz and Liesl soon meet Gerhard, a dog who plays the glockenspiel. Gerhard joins them on their search. Fritz cannot find another goat who can dance at all, and soon he goes off to be sad by himself. Then he hears dancing, and what do you think that he found? Did he find a new herd that can also dance?















Dancing Granny
by Elizabeth Winthrop and illustrated by Salvatore Murdocca

One night a granddaughter invites her grandmother to go to the zoo, but her grandmother is already ready for bed and does not want to go. The little girl tells her grandmother that the animals are getting ready for her at the zoo, and she gets her grandmother ready to go. At the zoo, the animals are ready to party. Her grandmother has a lot of fun dancing with the animals, and each animal does a different dance with granny. Will her grandmother enjoy the party and the dancing? Will she want to return?