Binky the Space Cat

We just received a new shipment of books, and some of them just make me laugh. Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires is about a cat who has really never been outside the house, but he has made it his mission to protect his humans from alien invaders (aka insects.) I think that this graphic novel will be in a smiling young reader's hand at all times.

Lego

The Lego books are so well loved that they just never stay on the shelf overnight. We were thrilled to receive two new ones as birthday donations! The addition of a lego table and a small collection of legos has created a new exciting space for reading, creating, and building in the library.

The Case of the Mossy Lake Monster

We have many different mystery series in our library, and as I was gathering examples to show to the second grades, I discovered The Doyle and Fossey Science Detectives series by Michele Torrey. It is definitely one of my new favorites! Two fifth grade detectives work to solve four scientific cases. The mysteries are followed by experiments and activities that are related to the solutions. This series is perfect for mystery readers who love science and fun!

The Day Glo Brothers

The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors by Chris Barton just arrived in our latest shipment of new books for the library. It tells the story of two brothers who wondered about colors and then went through the innovative process to create the fluorescent colors that did not exist before 1935. This book will appeal to those readers and wonderers who like science and who love learning about how things came to be.

Callie Cat, Ice Skater

I just found Eileen Spinelli's Callie Cat, Ice Skater in the book return and read it for the first time. With the olympics coming up and with so much attention given to medals and awards, this is a gem of a book to remind us all of that feeling of "melting sweetness" that comes from doing what you love.

Scaredy Squirrel

The second graders loved Melanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel. The diagrams and illustrations fit so well with the "all about" writing that they are doing in the classroom. Besides being a great mentor text, it's really fun to read!

Faith

Faith by Maya Ajmera and the Global Fund for Children emphasizes the themes of prayer, song, celebration, worship, hope, and peace that are shared in many of the worlds religions. The incredible photography and text describes what makes each unique. This is brand new in our library. Beautiful!

Caldecott Award Winner

The American Library Association (ALA) announced the winners of several different awards for top books for children. One of these awards is the Randolph Caldecott Medal which is awarded to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. This is the first year that I have made predictions about which books might win. I'm so excited about the winning book and the honor books. They were my picks, too!


Winner:
The Lion and the Mouse illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney.
This is a beautiful book! This is an old story, but this time it is wordless. I love how wordless books sometimes encourage the greatest conversations. This one is fantastic!

Caldecott Honor Books:

All the World illustrated by Marla Frazee and written by Liz Garton Scanlon.
This is another beautiful book. It is a rhyming celebration of the world.







Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski and written by Joyce Sidman.
This gorgeous book explores the colors associated with each season of the year. There is so much to see on every page. It's on our Panther Paw list this year.

My Heart is Like a Zoo

I read about My Heart is Like a Zoo by Michael Hall last night and bought it for our library today. (Thanks, Creative Literacy!) Our second graders are experts at finding and creating similes. I think that they will love this book and the chance to create their own heart creatures with Valentine's Day on the horizon. Here's a trailer that will give you the flavor of this clever book.