Provo Library Children's Book Blog

The House That Jane Built: A Story About Jane Addams By Tanya Lee Stone Illustrated by Kathryn Brown Christy Ottaviano Books, 2015. Biography. In 1889, Jane Addams, a wealthy woman inspired by Toynbee Hall in London, opened the doors to Hull House in Chicago, a home where those looking for a place of refuge to eat and sleep were welcomed. When she saw a need, she used her wealth and influences to help her community. Her projects including helping her community build a public bath houses so the poor who did not have running water had a place to bathe, which helped stop the spread of diseases; building playgrounds so children would have a safe place to play; and starting morning kindergarten classes and after school clubs to keep children off the streets. Hull House grew quickly, and by the early 1920s, more than nine thousand people visited Hull House each week. This is an inspiring picture book biography about an extraordinary woman whose influence is felt even today. The aut...

Home By Carson Ellis Candlewick, 2015. Picture book. What kind of home do you live in? In this whimsical collection of various types of dwellings, home can be an apartment, a wigwam, a boat, or even a shoe. Mythical, mundane, or even magical, these homes all have delightful details that encourage readers to pore over the illustrations. A dove can be found on each page, and the depiction of the artist in her studio at the end offers lots of visual connections that can be found throughout the book. Ellis’s warm, earthy artwork and the unexpected turns of her imagination make this book special.

Brick Flicks: A Comprehensive Guide to Making Your Own Stop-Motion Lego Movies by Sarah Herman Skyhorse Publishing, 2014. Nonfiction. 206 p. Got kids who need projects to keep themselves busy this summer? Look no further than this fabulous book. Brick Flicks are stop-motion films made up completely of Legos. When animating with Legos the possibilities are endless. This wonderful and comprehensive book is full of step by step full color pictures that teach the reader everything they need to know from the ground up about creating and filming their own miniature Brick Flicks. Information about lighting, animating figures, creating sets--it's all included in this wonderful resource. Though the technical portion of the book (regarding editing software and such) might be a bit much for some younger readers--there are many other parts that children will have no problem understanding. Whether the film you want to create is extremely basic and simple or  something much more involved ...

Grumpy Pants By Claire Messer Albert Whitman & Company, 2016. A penguin comes in from out in the rain. This penguin is grumpy! He takes off his “grumpy” clothes from his coat to his underwear (that children will laugh about…especially because the “grumpy” underwear has hearts on them). But still the penguin is grumpy. Finally there is something that helps penguin feel better. Children who have been grumpy will relate to penguin and how sometimes it is hard to stop being grumpy. Grownups who read books with kiddos will be happy to have a book that offers a suggestion to being grumpy—or at the very least a way to talk about how being grumpy is a feeling that will eventually pass. The illustrations are uncluttered and have about 5 or so colors that make readers pay attention to each bold detail. This will be a great story to read before bed or at a story time or in another large group. (And I particularly enjoyed the extra little details that are for adults! For example, tak...

In honor of Father's Day here is a display of books with great father characters. Farmer Boy   By Mary Ingalls Wilder HarperTrophy, 1933. Fiction. 372 p. Nine-year-old Almanzo lives with his family on a big farm in New York State at the end of the nineteenth century. He raises his own two calves, helps cut ice and shear sheep, and longs for the day he can have his own colt. Anne of Green Gables By L. M. Montgomery Children’s Classics, 1908. Fiction. 240 p. Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her. Little Britches By Ralph Moody University of Nebraska Press, 1950. Biography. 260 p. The Moody family moves from New Hampshire to a Colorado ranch. Experience the pleasures and perils of ranching in 20th Century America, through the eyes of a youngster. Crossover By Alexander Kwame Ho...

Clark in the Deep Sea By R. W. Alley Clarion Books, 2016. Picture book. On a rainy spring day, Clark and his three siblings are entertaining themselves quietly on the porch. But when Gretchen’s stuffed bear falls off the steps, the soggy backyard becomes an ocean and Clark embarks on a rescue mission. Facing dangers such as the hungry Fur-Shark (the family dog) and the Million-Mile Eel (the garden hose), Clark will need all his daring and a little help from his brother and sister to save poor Bear. Written and illustrated by the veteran illustrator of the Paddington Bear books, this is a sweet and simple story about the power of imagination and the warmth of sibling companionship. The change from the light pastels of the porch scenes to the vivid colors of the imaginary ocean scenes adds some nice differentiation and drama. Watch for two new books about Clark’s siblings coming out in the fall of 2016.

Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale Candlewick Press, 2015. Intermediate Chapter Book. The superhero Princess in Black is at it again protecting her kingdom from monsters big and small. Under her secret identity, Princess Magnolia, she decides to throw herself the perfect birthday party. But just as all her guests begin to arrive, the monster alarm goes off. Princess Magnolia must figure out how to sneak away and stop the monsters without anyone being the wiser that she is actually the Princess in Black. Unfortunately, that's a little  difficult to do when you are both the birthday girl and the party host. Especially when the monsters just keep coming. Will Princess Magnolia's secret be discovered? Read this fabulous book to find out.

Gordan Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America By Carole Boston Weatherford Illustrated by Jamey Christoph Albert Whitman & Company, 2015. Biography. While growing up, Gordon was told by his white teachers that all he and other African Americans would do when they grew up was be porters and waiters. As a 14-year-old, Gordon did become a waiter--until at the age of 25 he was inspired to purchase a used camera and taught himself to take on shooting portraits and fashion. A model encouraged him to take his talent to the city, where he won a chance to be a government photographer. Determined to use his lens to showcase racism, he chronicled a day in the life of a cleaning woman who worked in his building, capturing the famous photo “American Gothic”. He became a renaissance man whose photography not only made it in Vogue and Life magazine but also wrote novels and poetry, composed music, and made movies. Further information about Gordon can be found at the ...

Woof: A Bowser and Birdie Novel Written by Spencer Quinn Read by James Frangione Scholastic Press, 2015. 293 pgs or 7 hrs. In review a of Woof, Stephen King said that "Spencer Quinn speaks two languages — suspense and dog — fluently."  This is a story best told by a dog, and there's no dog better to tell it than Bowser, the city mutt who finds a new home in the Louisiana swamp with 11-yr-old Birdie. The day that Birdie saves Bowser from the the local shelter happens to be the same day that her grammy's prize stuffed marlin is stolen from their small bait and tackle store. The theft sets off a chain of events that turn the fun-loving duo into a pair  of amateur sleuths, ultimately confronting a crime much bigger than a stolen fish.  Quinn will have you falling in love with Bowser's loyalty, optimism, and short attention span. If we could hear the thoughts of dogs, I'm pretty sure they'd sound a lot like Bowser. This book frequently caught me of...

The Slowest Book Ever By April Pulley Sayre Illustrated by Kelly Murphy Boyds Mills Press, An Imprint of Highlights, 2016. 174 p. This is a book to read SLOWLY. Meaning that there are loads of little tidbits of information about slow things (slow animals, slow plants, slow thoughts on space, etc.) that you don’t want to rush through. Because if you did rush to read this book, you might miss something! But even though readers might want to read the information in a leisurely manner, there is so much mind-boggling facts to learn that readers most likely won’t read this book slowly. And those reluctant readers out there who love reading books where you can read bits and pieces of chapters and skip chapters you aren’t interested in, this is a great choice. And Sayre is quite humorous. There I was reading along and suddenly I found myself chuckling about true facts—which of course made this read all the more enjoyable. My only complaint is that there just wasn’t enough information ...

Violet and Victor Write the Most Fabulous Fairy Tale Written by Alice Kuipers Illustrated by Bethanie Deeney Murguia Little, Brown and Company, 2016. Picture Book. Violet wants to write a wonderful fairy tale but Victor, who would rather discuss Australian animals, is not in the mood. Eventually, Victor takes a turn writing and the story begins to head in a different direction of which Violet does not approve. The twins begin to alternate turns of adding and changing the story until they finally work together to create a fabulous fairy tale. This sequel to Violet and Victor Write the Best-Ever Bookworm Book is simple yet captures sibling relationships well. The illustrations combine pencil drawings and real collages and create a work-in-progress feel to the story. As the twins alternate who is writing the story, two distinct colors are used to indicate which twin is writing. Although younger children might struggle to follow who is speaking or writing, children will enjoy...

From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot Feiwell and Friends, 2015. Fiction. 182 p. Olivia is average girl going to an ordinary private school.  She lives with her aunt and uncle, but she corresponds with her widowed father regularly.  One day she is accosted by the "popular girl" who claims Olivia is a princess.  That is ridiculous, of course.  How could plain, ordinary, Olivia be the half-sister of one of the most famous princesses alive? This is a darling new series for younger readers by the writer of the successful Princess Diaries series. Olivia is an appealing character who learns, like her big sister, that being a princess is more than wearing fancy dresses and living in a castle.  The book has several black and white illustrations, some of which are by the author, who, like Olivia, likes to draw animals.  This book is available from the library in print, on CD, as an ebook and e-audiobook download.

The Lonely Ones By Kelsey Sutton Philomel Books, 2016. Fiction. 240p. “I want to inform them  that I am not silent because I have nothing to say.  I am silent because nobody is listening.” Fain misses the days when she felt close to her siblings, when her parents weren’t stressed and arguing about her father’s unemployment, and when peers at school didn’t have complicated ulterior motives. As her loneliness grows, Fain spends more and more of her time writing the fantastical stories that she loves. During the night, her fantasy world comes to life and she lives for the adventures she will go on with her monsters and imaginary creatures. But as new people at school seek to befriend her and loyalties between her siblings are tested, Fain must decide if she will stay hidden in her fantasy world or if she will embrace the messy vulnerability of real relationships. This novel in free verse is a very quick read but has a lot of depth, sensitivity, and emotional trut...

Circus Fantastico: A Magnifying Mystery by Lynn Gordon Accord Publishing, 2010. Picture Book. There is a mystery going on at Circus Fantastico. Many of the show's props  have turned up missing. Ella the Elephant (and star of the circus) is put in charge of solving the mystery of the disappearing items. Young readers can follow along with the magnifying glass provided and check out all the evidence along with Ella. Tiny clues are hidden throughout the colorful pages--illustrations so minuscule that they can barely be seen with the human eye. But with the magnifying glass in hand--all will be revealed. Children will love hunting around each page trying to find the itty bitty pictures hidden there. As always, Molly Idle's lovely, colorful pictures are a joy to behold.

The Kid From Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton By Audrey Vernick Illustrated by Steven Salerno Clarion Books, 2016. 40 p. Biography. When 10-year-old Edith tried out for the Philadelphia Bobbies, an all-female baseball team, she made the team of women in their late teens and early twenties. Nicknamed "The Kid," she may have been small, but her skill made her the starting shortstop. In 1925, 13-year-old Edith's team was invited to play in Japan, a country that loves the sport and thought the team would be a popular attraction as they played against male college-age teams. This picture book covers Edith's adventures as she sailed overseas, experienced a new culture, and played baseball. A fun piece of little-known history that kids will enjoy reading, especially seeing how a little girl could take on the sport at such a young age.

Fortune Falls by Jenny Goebel Scholastic Press, 2016. 201 pgs. Fortune Falls: a town where superstitions aren't just superstitions. Here rabbits' feet cost more than diamonds, and children are tested the year they turn twelve to determine if they are a Lucky or not. For the safety of the town, Unluckies get shipped far away to attend the Bane Boarding School for Unlucky Adolescents. Eleven-year-old Sadie Bleeker is an Unlucky. Of course she hasn't been tested yet, but everyone knows it's true. Sadie's life has been one terrible event after another, and to make matter's worse, her important twelfth birthday falls on Friday the 13th! Sadie can't imagine leaving her widowed mother, little brother, or her best friend, Cooper. But she also doesn't want her unfortunate presence to put them in danger, especially after her luck takes an impossible turn for the worse. With the help of friends, family, and a suspicious black cat, Sadie sets out to c...

Horrible Bear!  By Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Zachariah OHora Little, Brown and Company, 2016. A girl with a large bushel of red, curly hair goes out to fly a kite. Only, the kite string breaks and the kite flies into a cave where a bear is sleeping. While trying to get the kite, the bear rolled over and broke the kite. “Horrible Bear!” cries the girl. Off she goes stomping home (after waking the bear and disturbing quite a few others) to growl and fume over what happened. The bear who is not so happy about being called “horrible” decides he will be and off he goes following the girl to show just how horrid he can be. Of course there is a realization and a reconciliation of what has truly happened. Toddlers will love repeating the “Horrible Bear” refrain while grownups will enjoy the message of thinking through who was really horrible and what should they have done about it. This is a fun tale for either a group or a child and grownup to read together.

Mystery of the Map (Poptropica #1) Written by Jack Chabert Illustrated by Kory Merritt Amulet Books, 2016. Comics. 105 p. Based on the online role-playing game, Poptropica, designed by Jeff Kinney of Diary of a Wimpy Kid fame, Mystery of the Map follows clever and funny Oliver, determined and mature Mya, and goofy and hungry Jorge on an adventure as they navigate the mysterious island Poptropica. When their hot air balloon pilot turns out to have a hidden agenda and crashes their balloon on the island, the trio of friends find themselves running from dodo birds, a sabretooth tiger, Vikings and Octavian, their former pilot, while following a powerful map that fell from Octavian’s bag. This is a funny and exciting graphic novel with cartoon-like illustrations and clever dialogue. Kids and tweens looking for a wild romp of a graphic novel will enjoy this series opener.

In honor of Mother's Day last Sunday, here is a display of children's books that have great mother characters. Little Women By Louisa May Alcott Signet Classic, 1868. Fiction. 456 p. The lives and adventures of the four March sisters--Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy--are set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century New England while their father is off fighting in the Civil War. Where the Red Fern Grows    By Wilson Rawls Doubleday, 1960. Fiction. 212 Set against the background of the Ozark Mountains, this is the story of a young farm boy and how he trains his two coon hounds to achieve fame for their hunting and trapping. All of a Kind Family   By Sydney Taylor Dell, 1989. Fiction. 188 p. Five sisters growing up in a Jewish family in New York in the early twentieth century search for hidden buttons while dusting Mama's front parlor, or explore the basement warehouse of Papa's peddler's shop on rainy days. The five girls enjoy doing ev...