Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Five Little Monkeys Read in Bed By Eileen Christelow Mama has said it is time for "Lights out! Sweet dreams! No more reading in bed," but her five little monkeys cannot resist reading just a few more books to one another. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed By Eileen Christelow A counting book in which one by one the little monkeys jump on the bed only to fall off and bump their heads. Five Little Monkeys Wash the Car  By Eileen Christelow Five little monkeys wash the family car before trying to sell it, but that is only the beginning of their adventures with the old heap. Five Little Monkeys Go Shopping By Eileen Christelow Five little monkeys go shopping for school clothes with their mama, but in spite of her warnings about not wandering off, things quickly get complicated.

Tales of the Cryptids Written by Kelly Milner Halls, Rick Spears, and Roxyanne Young Illustrated by Rick Spears  Cryptozoology is the study of animals that may or may not be real: familiar animals like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, and those that are less familiar like the Marozi of Kenya, the Orang-pendek of Sumatra and the Thylacine of Tasmania. Meet these and more in this introduction to cryptozoology. Bigfoot By Stephen Krensky Bigfoot By Jacqueline Laks Gorman An introduction to the large ape-like creature that has reportedly been seen in parts of the Pacific Northwest. The Loch Ness Monster By David Schach Engaging images accompany information about the Loch Ness Monster. The combination of high-interest subject matter and light text is intended for students in grades 3 through 7. Mothman By Q.L. Pearce

The Story of Britain  Written by Patrick Dillon Illustrated by P.J. Lynch Mary Poppins Written by P.L. Travers Illustrated by Mary Shepard An extraordinary English nanny blows in on the East Wind with her parrot-headed umbrella and magic carpetbag and introduces her charges, Jane and Michael, to some delightful people and experiences. Canoeing and Kayaking By Lois Rock Presents an introduction to these outdoor sports, with information on the equipment used, skills and techniques, and different types of canoeing and kayaking. Gymnastics Events By Jason Page The balance beam, floor rings, team events, & a whole lot more. Running By Clive Gifford An introduction to the sport of running: learn about techniques, rules, different types of races, and more. Splash It Swimming By Trudee Romanek A Basic Guide to Wrestling By Suzanne Ledeboer A World Class Sprinter By Clive Gifford Soccer By Clive Gifford An introduction to soccer, including techniqu

Edgar Degas: Paintings That Dance Written and illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler  Raphael Written and illustrated by Mike Venezia Leonardo Da Vinci By Diane Stanley A biography of the Italian Renaissance artist and inventor who, at about age thirty, began writing his famous notebooks which contain the outpourings of his amazing mind. Michelangelo By Diane Stanley  A biography of the Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, well known for his work on the Sistine Chapel in Rome's St. Peter's Cathedral. Hanging Off Jefferson's Nose  Written by Tina Nichols Coury Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport Lincoln Borglum was the son of Gutzon Borglum, the man who dreamed up the idea of carving four presidents' faces into the rockface of Mount Rushmore. The younger Borglum was the man who actually completed the project, and this is his story. Gustav Klimt: A Painted Fairy Tale Text and picture selection by Stephan Koja

Sisters Club series By Megan MacDonald In Acton, Oregon, sisters Alex, Stevie, and Joey tell about their lives, including their line of actor ancestors, creative family dinners, toe marshmallows, swearing in Shakespeare, and the Sisters Club. Hatfords series By Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Disgusted that a family with three girls moves into the house across the river, nine-year-old Wally and his three brothers declare a practical joke war on the girls. Sammy Keyes series By Wendelin Van Draanen Thirteen-year-old Sammy's penchant for speaking her mind gets her in trouble when she involves herself in the investigation of a robbery at the "seedy" hotel across the street from the seniors' building where she is living with her grandmother. Cupcake Diaries series By Coco Simon  Who's afraid of middle school? Not Katie Brown. After all, it can't be that different from elementary school. But, boy, was she ever wrong! After her

The Window Written by Jeanette Ingold When she comes to live with relatives on a Texas farm, fifteen-year-old Mandy encounters the grandmother she never knew and begins to come to terms with her blindness caused by the automobile accident that killed her mother. Pictures, 1918 Written by Jeanette Ingold Coming of age in a rural Texas community in 1918, fifteen-year-old Asia assists in the local war effort, contemplates romance with a local boy, and expands her horizons through her pursuit of photography. Paper Daughter Written by Jeanette Ingold When her father, a respected journalist in Seattle, is killed in a hit and run accident, Maggie Chen, a high school intern at her father's newspaper, searches for clues to the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death, an investigation that forces her to confront her ethnicity and a family she never knew. Includes historical notes on Chinese immigration to the United States, and the Exclusion Era laws.

Sleepy Boy Written by Polly Kanevsky Illustrated by Stephanie Anderson Unable to fall asleep, a little boy lying next to his father experiences the various sensations of his body and remembers a lion cub he saw that day at the zoo. A Good Night Walk By Elisha Cooper The reader is taken on a journey through a neighborhood and shown the sights, sounds, and smells as evening approaches Wynken, Blynken, and Nod Written by Eugene Field Illustrated by David McPhail  A classic lullaby poem about three fishermen who try to catch the stars in nets of silver and gold. The King Who Wouldn't Sleep Written by Debbie Singleton  Illustrated by Holly Swain  A clever farmer wins the hand of a princess when he uses a counting activity to make the watchful king fall asleep. Goodnight Moon Written by Margaret Wise Brown  Illustrated by Clement Hurd A little bunny bids goodnight to all the objects in his room before falling asleep. No Go Sleep

  Little Hoot  Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal Illustrated by Jen Corace Little Hoot wants to go to bed early, like all of his friends do, and he is hopping mad when Mama and Papa Owl insist that he stay up late and play.  Little Oink Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal Illustrated by Jen Corace Little Oink is a neat little pig, but his parents will not allow him to play with his friends until he is messy, as pigs should be. Chopsticks Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal  Illustrated by Scott Magoon When a pair of chopsticks get separated, after some traumatic moments the two friends eventually learn to stand on their own. Spoon Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal Illustrated by Scott Magoon Spoon's always been a happy little utensil. But lately, he feels like life as a spoon just isn't cutting it. He thinks Fork, Knife, and The Chopsticks all have it so much better than him. But do they? And what do they think about Spoon? Christmas

Time Snatchers by Richard Ungar G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2012. 321 pp. Juvenile chapter book. Caleb lives in the year 2061. He is a time snatcher--a group kids trained to time travel and steal famous objects from the past so they can be sold in the future for large amounts of money. The man who runs this questionable business is an unpleasant, Fagan-like character, named Uncle, who forces orphans to work for him. And don't even think about trying to run away. Unfortunately, things are getting pretty bad  these  days. Stakes are high and Uncle has some big plans for the business. Plans that Caleb wants nothing to do with. I really enjoyed this book. Though there are some gaping holes in the time travel logic at times, I have to admit that I was so caught up in the likable characters and the well-executed, by-the-edge-of-your-seat plot that I found I really didn't care very much about those minor inconsistencies in the end. Kids who love books like Dark Life and Lightn

The Exceptionals By Erin Cashman Holiday House, 2012. 236 pp. Juvenile chapter book. Claire Walker family all has amazing powers, with the exception of Claire--or so everyone believes. Despite her believed lack of talent, she is packed off and sent to Cambial Academy, a school for kids supernaturally inclined. As she finds herself settling in, she is alerted to strange happenings at the school as well as hints of past prophecies that mention a girl who sounds suspiciously like herself.  Claire soon finds herself deeply immersed in the school's situation and realizes she must completely embrace her own dubious talent to truly help. This was a good book with adventure and intrigue and would be interesting for both boys and girls. I liked the main character, Claire, and her friends as well. Although the writing wasn't the best, it was still an enjoyable book and children will love the supernatural element. There is some light romance, also. Parents should be forewarned the

 Digging for Bird-Dinosaurs By Nic Bishop  The story of Cathy Forster's experiences as a member of a team of paleontologists who went on an expedition to the island of Madagascar in 1998 to search for fossil birds.  Marsupials By Nic Bishop A close-up look at the marsupials of Australia, from possums that glide from tree to tree, to dunnarts that nest in hollows. Butterflies and Moths By Nic Bishop A close-up look at moths and butterflies transforming from wriggly caterpillars into beautiful winged insects. Backyard Detective: Critters Up Close By Nic Bishop Describes a variety of animals and insects that can be found close to home and offers tips on how to observe them.  Forest Explorer: A Life-Size Field Guide By Nic Bishop Depicts in detail several different deciduous forest habitats, with field notes about the insects and animals shown, as well as tips on how to explore a real forest. Chameleon, Chameleon 

Matched By Ally Condie All her life, Cassia has never had a choice. The Society dictates everything: when and how to play, where to work, where to live, what to eat and wear, when to die, and most importantly to Cassia as she turns 17, who to marry. When she is Matched with her best friend Xander, things couldn't be more perfect. But why did her neighbor Ky's face show up on her match disk as well? Crossed By Ally Condie Seventeen-year-old Cassia sacrifices everything and heads to the Outer Provinces in search of Ky, where she is confronted with shocking revelations about Society and the promise of rebellion. Reached By Ally Condie Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as pr

  Hairdo Written by Ruth Freeman Swain Illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith Depicts how people have viewed, worn, and changed their hairstyles throughout history and in various cultures.   Freckleface Strawberry Written by Julianne Moore Illustrated by LeUyen Pham Freckleface Strawberry is just like everyone else, except that she has red hair and freckles but when she tries to hide who she is, she learns about true friendship and accepting yourself just as you are. Everywear By Ellen Warwick and Bernice Lum From headbands to bags, this fashionable guide to creating unique and chic accessories shows girls how to transform ordinary outfits into extraordinary style statements without breaking the bank. Zorro Gets an Outfit By Carter Goodrich Zorro is embarrassed at having to wear a fancy outfit to the park and Mister Bud is unable to cheer him up until a "cool" new dog arrives in his own fancy clothes and challenges the friends

 Zero the Hero   Written by Jan Holub Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld Zero believes that he is a hero, but the counting numbers think he is worthless until they get into trouble with some Roman numerals, and only Zero can help. Cloudette Written and illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld Cloudette, the littlest cloud, finds a way to do something big and important as the other clouds do. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site Written by Sherri Duskey Rinker Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld  At sunset, when their work is done for the day, a crane truck, a cement mixer, and other pieces of construction equipment make their way to their resting places and go to sleep. Shark Vs. Train Written by Chris Barton Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld A shark and a train compete in a series of contests on a seesaw, in hot air balloons, bowling, shooting baskets, playing hide-and-seek, and more.

  Hooey Higgins and the Shark by Steve Voake, illustrated by Emma Dodson Candlewick, 2012.  104 pgs. Intermediate      Hooey Higgins and his friend Twitch are desperate to have the enormous chocolate egg displayed in the front window of Mr. Danson's confectionary.  But it costs 65 pounds and they have only 5 pounds and 33 pence between them, including what's left of Hooey's birthday money. Rumors of a shark in the area give them an idea:  catch the shark, put it in the bathtub, and charge a steep admission.  Several bottles of ketchup and a cricket bat later, the boys haven't seen hide nor fin of the shark, but they have discovered a very large sea urchin which they try to charge for looking at through the glass bottom of a terrarium. By the end of the story the enterprising boys receive, by bizarre means, their hearts' desires, and the reader has had a ball of laughs.  (Friendly warning:  women's underwear flies through a critical scene.)

The Cloud Spinner By Michael Catchpool, illustrated by Alison Jay Alfred A. Knopf, 2012, unpaged, picture book Here is a story about conserving natural resources that is appealing and accessible to even the youngest audience.   A little boy knows how to spin thread and weave cloth out of clouds.   He uses his skill sparingly to make himself a simple scarf. The king sees the amazing scarf and orders the boy to make a first a scarf, and then a whole set of clothes for himself and his family.   The boy warns the king that he is asking too much but the king will not be cautious.   The boy must use up so many clouds to make the clothes that soon the kingdom is plagued with drought.   Luckily the little princess is wiser than her father, and manages to find a way to return the clouds to the sky. Alison Jay’s whimsical folk art is a perfect match for the story.   Jay adds delightful detail to every page that will reward the careful viewer again and again. Kate Greenaway Medal c