Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Winter is almost here! It makes me want to curl up next to the fireplace with a good read-aloud next to my family. If you feel the same take a pick from these classics that have stood the test of time . . . A Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens A miser learns the true meaning of Christmas when three ghostly visitors review his past and foretell his future. Little Women By Louisa May Alcott Chronicles the joys and sorrows of the four March sisters as they grow into young women in nineteenth-century New England. A Little Princess By Frances Hodgson Burnett Sara Crewe, a pupil at Miss Minchin's London school, is left in poverty when her father dies, but is later rescued by a mysterious benefactor. The Secret Garden By Frances Hodgson Burnett A ten-year-old orphan comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors where she discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden. Winnie-the-Pooh By A. A. Milne Presents the adventures of Christopher ...

Look! What Do You See? An Art Puzzle Book of American and Chinese Songs By Xu Bing Illustrated by Becca Stadtlander Penguin Random House, 2017. Informational Picture Book. TO: Children and Adults who love puzzles. ASSIGNMENT: Check out Look! What do you See?  YOUR MISSION: Figure out the hidden code created by the author. The code is used throughout the book in familiar American Songs and Chinese Songs that have been translated into English. Your spy eyes will be amazed with what you discover.

Slider By Peter Hautman Candlewick, 2017. Fiction. 278 p. David has an older sister who is a straight A student, and a younger brother who has sever autism.  He feels like he isn't good at anything, except competitive eating.  He can down a whole pizza in three minutes!  He follows other competitive eaters' careers, and when a memento from a famous hot dog eating competition comes available on an online auction website, he "borrows" his mother's credit card to bid on it. Never a good idea. David's relationship with his autistic brother is very sweet and lots of kids will relate to David's struggle to find his place in the world and in his family. Certain kinds of kids will be enthralled with Hautman's detailed descriptions of the in's and out's (literally) of competitive eating. This is definitely not a book for anyone with a weak stomach, but for kids who don't mind a little "gross out" element, this is a great choice.

Where Did Santa Come From? These are books, some fictional and some informational, tell the origin of the Santa Claus legend. Children's Novels A Boy Called Christmas  By Matt Haig Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. Fiction. 234 p. Nikolas, the boy who would one day be known as Santa Claus, goes on a life-changing quest to the North Pole. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus  By Frank L. Baum H. Holt, 2003. Fiction. 175 p. A human foundling child, adopted by a wood-nymph and raised by the creatures who inhabit a magical forest, grows up to be the immortal Santa Claus. Picture Books The Legend of St Nicholas  By Anselm Grun Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2014. Picture Book. 26 p. An introduction to the saint who is the inspiration for giving. The Bearer of Gifts  By Kenneth C. Steven Dial Books for Young Readers. 1998. Picture Book. 32 p. After a Laplander wood carver gives the Christ child a special present, he is inspired to bring gifts to other c...

Trickiest!: 19 Sneaky Animals By Steve Jenkins Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017. Easy reader informational. A new, good, fun series of Easy Reader Nonfiction books is always a thing to celebrate. Even more so when the series comes from Steve Jenkins - a perennial favorite for his cut-paper collage illustrations. Trickiest! is the first in this new series (which will soon include Deadliest!, Stinkiest!, and Speediest!) featuring Jenkins' signature illustrations and clean graphics. Many different animals from around the world are featured and their different reasons for being sneaky are well explained. Each animal has a paragraph of good information and one or two insets with more interesting facts - including drawings of the animals to scale with a person. Hand this fun new series to animal lovers still learning to read.

Courage for Beginners Karen Harrington Little, Brown and Company, 2014. 289 p. One of the books that I really liked last year was Mayday by Karen Harrington (see a great review by another Provo City librarian here ). So when I discovered that she had written another book called Courage for Beginners a few years ago, I was excited to read that one. In this book Mysti Murphy has a lot to deal with. She is worried about school, friends, and all the sort of things that most normal twelve-year-olds need to deal with; however, she is also really concerned about things at home. Her little sister is somewhat annoying, her dad is in the hospital, and her mother has a secret—she is agoraphobic and never leaves the house. In other words, Mysti has to take care of the family. Only she is twelve. And her best friend is being a jerk—big time. And how can she get to the store to buy food for her family when she is a kid and can’t drive? This book has so many big questions as to how Myst...

Read in Book Babies Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! Written by Wynton Marsalis Illustrated by Paul Rogers Candlewick Press, 2012.  Picture Book. Squeak. Eek. Speak.   What’s that sound? The back door squeeeaks open, sounding like a noisy mouse nearby — eeek, eeeek, eeeek! Big trucks on the highway rrrrrrrumble, just as hunger makes a tummy grrrrumble. Ringing with exuberance and auditory delights, this second collaboration by world-renowned jazz musician and composer Wynton Marsalis and acclaimed illustrator Paul Rogers takes readers (and listeners) on a rollicking, clanging, clapping tour through the many sounds that fill a neighborhood. --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Caring for Your Lion Written by Tammy Sauer Illustrated by Troy Cummings Sterling Children's Books, 2017.  Picture Book. When a boy's long-awaited pet arrives, a note on the crate reads, "Congratulations on y our new lion!  We know you ordered a kitten, but ...

By R.A. Spratt Random House Australia, 2016. 304 p. The Greene children realize right away that Nanny Piggins isn't your average nanny. She is, indeed, a pig. A fabulously sassy and impeccably dressed pig as a matter of fact. She has an insatiable urge to eat chocolate and feed chocolate to everyone she loves. Nanny Piggins and the Race to Power is the eighth installment of the series and finds Nanny Piggins on a mission to thwart Mr. Greene's political ambitions by running for mayor herself. Her mission is to proudly fight for liberty, equality and cake! This is a really fun and laugh out loud series and geared to ages 9-12. It's fun, witty and full of cake.

Hockey: Then to Wow! By Sam Page Liberty Street, 2017. 80p. Informational. Once again Sports Illustrated Kids has complied another great sports informational book. In this history of the sport, they explore everything from the changes of equipment like skates and masks, to team dynasties and record breakers.  I have pretty much read all the hockey books in the Children's collection and I still found new and interesting facts in this book. Like did you know the shortest player in the NHL history was goalie Roy Worters at 5'3"? If you have a hockey fan on your holiday gift giving list, this is the one to get.

Princess Cora and the Crocodile By Laura Amy Schlitz Illustrated by Brian Floca Candlewick Press, 2017. Picture book. Poor Princess Cora. Although she is born a princess, her parents are so concerned with preparing her to be the queen, they keep her too busy and structured with constant studying, physical exercise and multiple baths each day. Cora just wants to get a dog and play outside, but no one will let her get a dog. She writes a letter to her fairy godmother asking for a pet. The next morning she finds a box in her bedroom with a crocodile inside! The crocodile hatches a plan to get Cora some much needed free time. This fun princess story with a twist is great for those ready for longer picture books. The crocodile keep readers laughing. It has simple chapters and a feel good story that speaks to the heart of young and old who are looking for a break from the day to day stresses.

The Glass Town Game by Catherynne Valente Margaret K McElderry Books, 2017. Fiction What if children's pretend games came alive?  In this thickly layered and deeply imaginative story the remaining children in the Bronte family, Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell, have developed a very complicated and ongoing pretend game in their Yorkshire home. When it is time for the older girls to go to a dismal boarding school, the children find that they have the opportunity to take a magic train to visit the world they have created. They seize at the chance, but soon find that their pretend wars and battles are much more frightening when they are real. As they face thrills and challenges, and meet versions of famous characters from British history, they come to find that they really do have the courage they always hoped they processed.  This is a great choice for advanced readers who enjoyed The Phantom Tollbooth or Alice in Wonderland .

We Are Brothers, We Are Friends By Alexandra Penfold Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017. Picture book. A big brother tells his baby brother about all the things he plans to teach him (such as how to play hide and seek and how to be a dinosaur), and how he will always be there for him to share his toys, hear him first when he cries, and even share his mom and dad. Sweet, feel-good fare, made special by the great imaginative illustrations full of action and color. A worthy addition to new baby books and a great big brother, little brother read.

The Bad Seed  Jory John Illustrated by Pete Oswald HarperCollins Publishers, 2017. Picture Book. There is a seed that is a bad seed. And I mean a BAD SEED! Every other seed knows just how bad he is. He is terrible. He never washes his hands. He lies. He is late. He cuts in line. He is bad, bad, bad! However, the Bad Seed has a story as to why he is bad. There was a traumatic experience in his life (he is a sunflower seed that at one point was in a bag while at a baseball game—and readers can just guess what happens to sunflower seeds while at baseball games). As the story progresses readers will learn that perhaps seeds that are bad might become good again. This is a great way to talk about actions and consequences and attitudes to difficult situations. And, it is fun to read about the story of this “baaaaaad seed!”

Read in Book Babies Bumpety, Dunkety, Thumpety-Thump Written by K.L. Going Illustrated by Simone Shin Beach Lane Books, 2017.  Picture Book. Two toddlers go on a bumpety berry hunt in this darling picture book that's perfect for preschoolers.  Wagon on gravel goes bumpety bump.  Pebbles in the pond go plunkety plunk.  Toes in the grass dance thumpety-thump.  Bumpety-plunkety-thumpety-thump!   Join two sweet siblings as they explore their backyard, get deliciously creative in the kitchen, and then spend a cozy evening preparing for bed.  Along the way they'll get muddy and messy and hungry and sleepy--just as all little ones do.  This celebration of imagination, creativity, and sibling love will have readers young and old chiming in--and yearning for some yummy pie!  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Pouch! By David Ezra Stein G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2009.  Picture Book. When you're new to the world, every hop b...

The Wolf Keepers by Elise Broach art by Alice Ratterree Henry Holt and Company, 2016. Fiction. 343 p. Lizzie, daughter of a zookeeper, lives at a zoo just over an hour from Yosemite national park. She's spending this particular summer keeping a nature journal of the new wolf exhibit, just like John Muir would. When she discovers a foster care runaway that's been living behind the elephant sanctuary, she's thrown into an adventure that involves uncovering a zoo scandal and discovering the hidden cabin of John Muir. This is a sweet tale and good for kids who appreciate wildlife and outdoor adventure. There is also the discussion of hard topics like foster care and life without a mother.

The Tiny Hero of Ferny Creek Library By Linda Bailey Illustrated by Victoria Jamieson Harper Collins, 2017. Fiction. 324 p. Eddie is a bright green bug. His family lives in an elementary school. They were brought into the classroom in a container that ended up breaking. His family made their home behind a classroom chalkboard. Eddie's aunt learns to read and loves visiting the library. One day his aunt doesn't come back and Eddie decides to save her! In the process he finds out the library itself is in danger, and he is determined to do all he can to save it. There are many literary references throughout. Eddie's aunt knows children's books, and uses the characters to inspire Eddie in his endeavors.  Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little  by E. B. White are mentioned throughout and the story of  The Tiny Hero of Ferny Creek Library  has a similar feel . It is perfect for younger children ready for longer books.

The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine by Mark Twain and Philip Stead Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2017. Fiction. 151 p. Have you ever wondered what kind of bedtime stories Mark Twain might have told his own children?  Once when his family was in Paris, Twain told a story he liked so well that he made some notes about it so that he could write it up later.  Recently some Twain scholars found the notes, but they were incomplete. They contracted Philip Stead to fill in and complete the story and Erin Stead to do the illustrations.  The result is a story about  a boy,  Johnny, who lives with an overbearing father. When he father asks him to go to town and sell his pet chicken for some food, Johnny starts on an adventure that includes magic beans, talking animals, and a spoiled rotten prince.  The book is full of Twain and Stead's wry humor and is illustrated with wonderful colored pictures throughout.  It is available from the Library in print...

Books! Books! Books!: Explore the Amazing Collection of the British Library By Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom Candlewick Press, 2017. Informational. This bright, fun, colorful, intricate picture book introduces young readers to the rarest, coolest, and most valuable books in the British Library. Things like a Shakespeare folio kept in a bomb-proof room or the St. Cuthbert Gospel which was found in a coffin. Exciting details like these will propel kids through a lot of cool history in a very condensed form. Collage illustrations are nothing new, but the ones in this book are especially interesting - manuscript pages make up outfits, backdrops, and are scattered throughout. A great introduction to Western Literature, hand this book to any young bibliophiles and anglophiles.

Nothing Rhymes with Orange  Adam Rex Chronicle Books, 2017. Picture Book. Poor Orange. In this rhyming extravaganza all the different fruit (and a random bit of other objects) are rhymed into the story. But since nothing rhymes with “orange” the Orange feels left out. With a mix of the rhyming text and various asides from Orange, readers will laugh and sigh over the juxtaposition of the hilarious (and nonsensical) rhymes and the loneliness Orange feels for being left out. This text is a good starting point to talk to children about a number of different topics: rhymes, identifying fruits, being left out, and inclusion. This is Adam Rex at his best.

Read in Book Babies ABCs on Wheels By Ramon Olivera Little Simon, 2016.  Picture Book. The alphabet hits the road in this vividly illustrated picture book featuring all things that go!  Buckle up for an alphabetical road trip where kids learn their ABCs in the fast lane.  From A is for axle to Z is for zoom, young children will be introduced to taxis, hot rods, moon rovers, stagecoaches, race cars, ice cream trucks, and more in a celebration of where the wheels meet the road.  Refreshing and unique, this concept book is filled with bold, graphic illustrations that race off the page!  --Publisher Read in Toddler Time Jump! By Scott M. Fischer Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016.  Picture Book. When a bug sleeping on a jug is chased by a frog, he has to jump to get away.  But then that frog (who's sleeping on a log) is in for a similar surprise!  He's attacked by a cat...who needs to jump away from a...

Roadwork ,  Demolition , and Construction by Sally Sutton Illustrated by Brian Lovelock Candlewick Press, 2011, 2014 & 2015. Board Book. Have you ever groaned at the appearance of roadwork while your toddler stared fascinated? Well don't expect this series to lower your blood pressure, but your kids will love it. These picture books turned board books are a truck-lovers dream. With entertaining metered prose and hilarious construction sounds, you may find yourself giving a begrudging smile to delighted children during a noisy neighborhood construction project.

The Space Race of 1869 (Castle in the Stars #1) By Alex Alice First Second, 2014, 2017. Comics. 60 p. Seraphin's mother is a scientist who dies trying to prove that aether exists.  Months after her hot air balloon crash, someone finds her flight log and discovers that she did reach the aether layer before she died.  That discovery and the belief that the aether can be used to power engines that could take a ship to outer space, fuels a race between enemy nations to be the first to make a aether ship.  Seraphin's father is recruited by the king of Bavaria to design his aether ship, but Seraphin suspects that there is a Prussian spy in the castle trying to steal the plans. This is a fun graphic novel full of action and suspense and set in a steampunk version of the 1800's. It is as if the author wondered what space travel would be like if the universe actually was how people thought it was in the 19th century. The book was originally published in France in 2...

Super Slug of Doom: A Super Happy Magic Forest Story By Matty Long Scholastic Press, 2017. Picture book. During a dance party in the Super Happy Magic Forest, the evil slug Zorgoth is accidentally released from beneath a rock, and when he sets off to destroy the forest by drinking the Potion of Power, five reluctant heroes take on the mission of stopping him. This light-hearted, over-the-top fantasy picture book is full of tongue-in-cheek humor, witty asides, and detailed worlds complete with speech bubbles and hidden objects. A great adventure parody that will have kids of all ages and even adults laughing.

For November we have two great choices for the Parent/Child Book Club Books. For Girls Read we are going to discuss the Newbery Award winner The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. At the monthly Guys Read we will discover the adventures of a sailing cat in The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs by Gerald Kelley. I have to confess: The Witch of Blackbird Pond has been one of my all-time favorite books for decades (since I was the age of the Girls Read girls). I loved the history, the romance, the suspense, and the friendship that comes with this book. Though mostly as a twelve-year-old it was the romance that really got me hooked. I love Kit. I love how she tries to find a place with her family (even though she had never met them before). She is spunky and just wants to love and be loved—and do what is right (which is the part that tends to get her in trouble in a world of suspicion and witch trials). This is one of those books that changed my life. And I am excited to ...

Read in Book Babies Harry the Dirty Dog Written by Gene Zion Illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham HarperCollins Children's, 1956.  Picture Book. There's never been another dog as delightful--or dirty--as Harry.  Whether he's a white dog with black spots, or a black dog with white spots, Harry is sure to steal your heart (and your scrub brush, too, if you're not careful).  First published in 1956, this beloved classic is a collaboration between Gene Zion and two-time Caldecott Honor winner Margaret Bloy Graham.  The artist has added splashes of color to the cheerful scenes for this welcome new edition. Read in Toddler Time Interrupting Chicken By David Ezra Stein Candlewick Press, 2010.  Picture Book. It's bedtime for the little red chicken, and Papa is going to read her a story.  "You're not going to interrupt  the story tonight, are you?" asks Papa.  "Oh no, Papa.  I'll be good," says the little re...