Pigs Galore
Death and Grief
Our Chapter & Verse Book Clubs read three books about death, written for children, in April of 2017. We’ve updated this list with newer books in October, 2018. Several of our librarian members stated that they receive many requests from patrons for books that help children understand death. Our members around the country put their heads together to make recommendations of books they felt are excellent stories and discussion starters for families.
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Theater Geeks!
If your children (or you) are captivated by talent shows on TV, or dreams of acting on the stage, or the next theater production at school, there are a chorus line of books just waiting to audition for your next favorite. Here’s a mixture of classic and new stories, ranging in interest from grades 3 through 7.
All the World’s a Stage
written by Gretchen Woelfle, illus by Thomas Cox
Holiday House, 2011 Twelve-year-old Kit Buckles has come to London to make his fortune.
… more written by Gretchen Woelfle, illus by Thomas Cox
Holiday House, 2011 Twelve-year-old Kit Buckles has come to London to make his fortune.
Read Out Loud for Easter
As you prepare to celebrate Easter, we encourage you to include books in your celebration. A tradition of reading out loud before Easter dinner, after Easter dinner, as you awaken on Easter morning … perhaps each day during Holy Week? Here are a few gems we believe you and your family will treasure. Happy Easter!
At Jerusalem’s Gate: Poems of Easter
written by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by David Frampton
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2005 There are twenty-two free-form poems in this book, each from the point of view of a witness to the events of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
… more written by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by David Frampton
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2005 There are twenty-two free-form poems in this book, each from the point of view of a witness to the events of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving is a Good Time for a Book
Third Grader Reading at a Sixth Grade Level
Responding to a parent request for books that would interest her third-grader-reading-at-a-sixth-grade-level, we crowd-sourced a list. Big thanks to Sara Alcott, Linda Baie, Lesley Mandros Bell, Karen Cramer, Caren Creech, Melinda Fant, Ellen Klarreich, Vickie LoPiccolo, Ellen McEvoy, Laura Moe, Tunie Munson-Benson, Vicki Palmquist, Carrie Shay, Faythe Dyrud Thureen, Cindy Walker, and Sharon J. Wilson.
Unlike our usual annotated booklists, we are presenting this one in alphabetical order by book title due to the length of the list.
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Books about Chocolate
February is National Chocolate Month, so how could we let it pass by without an homage to chocolate … in books? Far less costly on the dental bill! “In 2009, more than 58 million pounds of chocolate were purchased and (likely) consumed in the days surrounding February 14th — that’s about $345 million worth. (Kiri Tannenbaum, “8 Facts About Chocolate,” Delish) Were you a part of the national statistic?
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Books about Chickens
Whether a chicken makes you cluck, BAWK! or cheep-cheep-cheep, books about chickens make us laugh. We may not have been introduced to a chicken in real life but, trust me, some people keep them as egg-laying wonders and other people keep them as pets. These fowl have been around in many colors, types, and breeds in most countries in the world … and quite recently they have become the subject of many books.
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Books about Trees
With hats off to our friends at the tree-festooned Iowa Arboretum, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chicago Botanic Gardens, and Omaha’s Lauritzen Gardens, this list is dedicated to arborists everywhere, professional and amateur … you take care of an essential part of our ecosystem. Thank you. Here’s a list of books for younger and older children, fiction and nonfiction.
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Quirky Book Lists: Classroom Pets
Thinking about adding a classroom pet? Read and think again!
8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel [÷] 1 Dog = Chaos
written by Vivian Vande Velde
illustrated by Steve Bjorkman
Holiday House, 2012 Squirrel likes living near a school playground. He’s not so sure about going inside, though, especially when he’s chased there by a dog and all the classroom pets get involved.
… more 8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel [÷] 1 Dog = Chaos
written by Vivian Vande Velde
illustrated by Steve Bjorkman
Holiday House, 2012 Squirrel likes living near a school playground. He’s not so sure about going inside, though, especially when he’s chased there by a dog and all the classroom pets get involved.
A Trip to the Art Museum
Arlo’s Artrageous Adventure!
David LaRochelle
Sterling Children’s Books, 2013 When Arlo’s grandmother drags him to the art museum, he can’t imagine how he’ll be interested. Something odd catches his eye and he soon realizes the paintings have things to say that surprise and delight him — and the reader. Fun and quirky, with illustrations that will make you smile and flaps to lift that will reveal nuances in much the same way you discover something new in a painting each time you look at it … this is a good choice to prepare a child for a trip to the museum.
Sterling Children’s Books, 2013 When Arlo’s grandmother drags him to the art museum, he can’t imagine how he’ll be interested. Something odd catches his eye and he soon realizes the paintings have things to say that surprise and delight him — and the reader. Fun and quirky, with illustrations that will make you smile and flaps to lift that will reveal nuances in much the same way you discover something new in a painting each time you look at it … this is a good choice to prepare a child for a trip to the museum.
Art Dog
Thacher Hurd
HarperCollins, 1996 When the moon is full, Arthur Dog, security guard at the Dogopolis Museum of Art becomes Art Dog, a masked artist painting masterpieces.
… more HarperCollins, 1996 When the moon is full, Arthur Dog, security guard at the Dogopolis Museum of Art becomes Art Dog, a masked artist painting masterpieces.
Quirky Book Lists: Go Fly a Kite!
H.A. Rey
HMH Books for Young Readers, 1977 (reissue of 1958 edition)
Ages 5 – 8 First George is curious about some bunnies, then about fishing, and then about his friend Billy’s kite. All’s well that ends well. Ages 5 – 8. Days with Frog and Toad Arnold Lobel
1979 HarperCollins
Ages 4 – 8 Five stories with the two famous friends, including “The Kite,” in which Frog’s optimism and Toad’s efforts prevail over the predictions of some nay-saying robins. … more
Books Starring Dachshunds
The Hallo-Wiener
Dav Pilkey
Scholastic, 1999 Oscar, the dachshund, wants to wear a scary costume for Halloween but his mother has other ideas. She sews him a hot-dog bun with mustard and he must wear it so he doesn’t hurt her feelings. It’s hard to navigate and his friends get to the treats before he does, but when the pack is threatened by some monster cats, it’s Oscar to the rescue!
… more Scholastic, 1999 Oscar, the dachshund, wants to wear a scary costume for Halloween but his mother has other ideas. She sews him a hot-dog bun with mustard and he must wear it so he doesn’t hurt her feelings. It’s hard to navigate and his friends get to the treats before he does, but when the pack is threatened by some monster cats, it’s Oscar to the rescue!