childrens books

Kids Book List: Back-to-School Read Aloud Books

17 Aug, 2009 2 Comments

It’s back-to-school time. Get your kids ready to face the challenges of a new school year with these back-to-school read aloud books.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. A mouse named Chrysanthemum loves her name until she is teased about it on her first day of kindergarten. A great conversation starter about names and the value of our uniqueness.
Ella the Elegant Elephant by Carmela D’amico and Steve D’amico. Ella wears her big red hat, a special gift from her Grandma, on the first day of school. With inspiring strength, Ella stands up to a teasing bully named Belinda and does not give up her lucky hat.
First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg. A fun story that shows everyone gets the jitters on the first day of school. The surprise twist on the last page makes this book end with a smile.
How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Mark Teague. Wallace spins a fabulous tale about his summer vacation, letting his imagination run wild. Great choice for a back-to-school read that sparks creative thought and writing.
Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney. The perfect book for little ones starting preschool. On Llama Llama’s first day, he learns that preschool is fun and Mama Llama does indeed come back!
Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth by Alison McGhee. The scariest part of a new school year can be the uncertainty of adjusting to a new teacher - especially if she is a purple-tongued alien who steals baby teeth! A very funny book.
Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. A wonderful book with a lesson for all of us promoting sensitivity towards kids with dyslexia and other learning disabilities.
The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane DeRolf. A colorful, lyrical book with an important message about getting along with others and accepting our differences.
The Night Before First Grade by Natasha Wing. In the poetic style of The Night Before Christmas, this book helps relieve common anxieties about new teachers and new classmates.
Yoko by Rosemary Wells. As Yoko learns when she brings homemade sushi to class for lunch, kids do not always respect cultural differences. This sweet book encourages multi-cultural appreciation and understanding.

Please leave a comment about these selections or other read aloud books for back-to-school. Shop for all of these books at the KidCrunch Store.

Kids Book List by Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times

7 Jul, 2009 No Comments

In his Sunday New York Times column on July 4th, Nicholas D. Kristof presented his list of the best kids books, including the following.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Freddy the Pig (series) by Walter R. Brooks
Alex Rider (series) by Anthony Horowitz
Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
Gentle Ben by Walt Morey
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be by Farley Mowatt
Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett
On to Oregon by Honore Morrow
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
Lad, a Dog by Albert Payson Terhune

New York Times readers were asked to suggest their own favorite kids books in the comments on Kristof’s blog. The results were overwhelming. As of this writing, New York Times readers posted nearly 2,500 comments recommending a wide range of excellent books for kids.

As a summer project, I could compile a list of the kids books suggested by Kristof’s readers. Then my kids and I could start to tackle all the great books we have not yet read. Or, we could just keep reading what we are reading and hang out at the pool. So, if and when I finish it, the compilation will be posted here.

Shop for the best kids books on Nicholas Kristof’s list at the KidCrunch Store.

Kids Book Review: How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids

6 Jul, 2009 No Comments

There has been a lot of “bucket” talk in our house of late. Most of it is me, yelling:

“Leave her bucket alone!” or
“Get away from his bucket!” or
“Worry about your own bucket!”

I am sure author Tom Rath did not write How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids to give me something else to yell at my children, but I appreciate the new material.

I saw this book on display at Barnes & Noble, flipped through the first few pages and then immediately dragged my 11 year old son to the display table and made him read it cover-to-cover. My cherished first born has lots of great qualities, but like many big brothers, will occasionally entertain himself by “pushing the buttons” of his little brothers and sister.

That’s why How Full is Your Bucket? For Kids seems like it was written just for our family. It tells the story of a boy named Felix who learns the “bucket” lesson - that in our everyday interactions we can choose to make someone happy (to metaphorically fill their bucket) or make someone unhappy (to instead take a dipper to their bucket.) Felix learns how badly it feels to have his own bucket emptied and how great it feels to have it refilled. Importantly, he learns that the key to keeping our own buckets filled is to seek out ways to fill the buckets of others.

Admittedly, after revisiting the moral of this story, I have gone a little “off message” with some of my bucket nagging. After one short read, however, my family is still talking about buckets, which demonstrates the strength of the image and message. This book is a great choice for young families, especially those with siblings.

If you want to buy the book, visit the KidCrunch Store. If you just need your oldest to read it, take him with you to Barnes & Noble.

Kids Book Series: The Magic Tree House

22 May, 2009 1 Comment

Earlier this week, my daughter and I embarked on a trip around the world (and back in time) with Jack and his sister Annie from Mary Pope Osborne’s book series The Magic Tree House. This is one of the best book series for kids who are just starting to read chapter books.

In The Magic Tree House series, eight year old Jack and seven year old Annie discover a book-filled tree house near their home in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. By pointing to a book and making a wish, Jack and Annie are magically transported by the tree house to the setting of the book.

Young readers pick up tidbits of knowledge with each adventure - as they cross the Delaware with George Washington, help a baby kangaroo escape an Australian wildfire or watch the Olympic Games with Plato. In addition, there are Research Guides that provide background information on many of the adventures.

The true value of the series is not the knowledge gained from each book. Instead, it is the love of reading that many kids first experience when introduced to The Magic Tree House books. Like so many young readers, my kids read one Magic Tree House book after another until they finished the series.

To help your kids on this journey, the books in this popular series are listed in order below.

The challenge for parents will come when their kids finish The Magic Tree House series. My oldest son had a hard time finding books that he enjoyed as much (until he found The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler Warner.) He is ten now, but I suspect he still sneaks a copy of the latest Magic Tree House books from his little sister for a quick, familiar read.

Shop for The Magic Tree House books and other popular kids book series at the KidCrunch Store.

2009 Christopher Awards

17 Apr, 2009 No Comments

The 60th annual Christopher Awards were presented on April 16th as a salute to media that “affirm the highest values of the human spirit.” The following books won this year’s Christopher Awards in the “Books for Young People” category.

Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers (Young Adult) Story of 18 year old who enlists in the U.S. Army after September 11th and is stationed in Iraq.
Shooting the Moon by Frances O’Roark Dowell (Ages 9-12) 12 year old girl learns about the horrors of war through rolls of film sent by her brother in Vietnam.
Clementine’s Letter by Sara Pennypacker (Ages 9-12) Third grader Clementine plots to keep her teacher from a sabbatical in Egypt.
That Book Woman by Heather Henson (Picture Book) Tale of a traveling librarian who brings books and a love of reading to Appalachia.
Close to You: How Animals Bond by Kimiko Kajikawa (Preschool) Charming, lyrical picture book that explores the bonds between animal parents and children.

Shop for these Christopher Award-winners and other great kids books at the KidCrunch Store.