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BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR
Best of Year 2010
Best of Year 2008
Notables from 2007
Notables from 2006
Notables from 2005
Notables from 2004
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THEMES
Animals
Anthologies
Bears
Bedtime
Classics
Concept Books
Dinosaurs
Families
Famous People
Fiction for the Young
Folk Literature
Friendship
Holiday/Special Days
Humor & Nonsense
Insects
Oceans, Lakes, Rivers,
& Ponds
Rhythm & Rhyme
Wordless Books
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Toddlers
Preschool
Kindergarten
Second Grade
Third-Fifth Grades
Middle Grades
Upper Grades
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FIRST GRADE
Children now begin the formal business of learning to read. Probably
no skill will be more important to a chld's future than reading. However,
the process of sounding out words can remove the enjoyment of a story.
This is where listening to good books can take on a new dimension.
Stories with vivid, precise words in flowing sentences are important.
They will provide a contrast to the repetitious words that are found
in school texts. There is still a need for numerous illustrations
to keep a child's attention and interest.
Good stories can take children outside of themselves and into another
world. They now are developmentally ready for greater flights of fantasy.
Now that they have a firmer grasp of real and make-believe, their
adventures into this world should still be a safe-scare experience.
Even with this firm fix on fantasy and reality, they still love humor.
It is satisfying when a young hero outsmarts the older, wiser, or
stronger character. It is important to hear stories of good triumphing
over evil.
Even though children are finding some independence, home and family
should provide a solid anchor for them. Books should now provide a
delicate balance between separation and attachment. Continue reading
aloud, especially books that are too difficult for children to read
independently. Be sure to include children in selecting books from
the library, keeping in mind their interests.
Every child's literary heritage should include folktales. Stories
that were too frightening during kindergarten are no longer intimidating
to them.
Through fairy tales, children understand and cope with struggles in
life. Characters meet obstacles and are victorious, often gaining
a kingdom and along with the respect of everyone. Unlike myths that
have tragic endings, or fables that teach lessons, fairy tales always
end happily giving listeners hope. Even though children are ready
for more sophisticated fairy tales now, they are not ready for the
more gruesome ones.
Children are now ready for more complex wordless books that require
closer attention and examination. Details must be interpreted in order
to understand what is happening. This skill is the basic ingredient
of reading comprehension.
At this age, children have an appetite for information about the real
world of animals, people, and things. They are beginning to understand
the existence of faraway places. They are fascinated by what dinosaurs
ate, where they lived and how they looked. While children can enjoy
non-fiction books that explain how things work, information in story
form will hold their interest much more.
As children master letters and numbers, they enjoy books that go beyond
the simple matching object with symbols. Many alphabet books are riddle-like
and definitely more challenging.
Listening is still a priority rather than reading. Children enjoy
the rhythmic sounds of verse and may join in and chant all or parts
of a particular favorite. Children seem to enjoy nonsense verse and
the fun of playing with words. As children develop their reading skills,
parents should read these books aloud. Eventually children will enjoy
switching roles and rereading these books on their own. Never should
easy-to-read books replace read-aloud books; both are needed.
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A MIGHTY
FINE TIME MACHINE
written/illus. by Suzanne Bloom, (Boyds Mills Press, $16.95,
ISBN 978-1-59078-527-0), 32p, Ages 5-7.
Three friends decide to turn a big box into a time machine .
With lots of "hoozie-doozies" Samantha, the anteater, Grant,
the aardvark, and Antoine, the armadillo, sort, mix, and match
the doodads and create a magnificent time machine. "Grant set
the dials to another time and place. Sam counted backward. Antoine
made blast-off noises. Flippers flapped. Wings whapped. Nothing
happened." With a little tweaking and minor adjustments they
try again, but it topples down the hill. Sam rethinks the design
and comes up with a marvelous bookmobile. Sometimes it's amazing
what a little imagination and ingenuity can accomplish. |
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THE COW THAT
WAS THE BEST MOO-THER
written by Andy Cutbill, Illus. by Russell Ayto, (HarperCollins
Children's Books, $17.99, ISBN 978-0-06-166472-4), 32p,
Ages 4-8.
Marjorie, from The Cow That Laid an Egg, proudly enters
her baby in a farmyard baby contest. For cows only, Marjorie
overlooks the fact that Daisy is a chicken and enters her anyway.
Daisy causes a commotion when she slurps a worm from the judge's
hat. With the whole barnyard in hysterics, Marjorie declares,
"Daisy might not be like your babies–but she's mine, and
I love her!" Awarded first prize for the world's best mom, Marjorie
receives a kiss from Derek the bull and admiration from the
chickens. Clever illustrations match this cute story with appealing
characters. |
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TOUGH CHICKS
written by Cece Meng, illus. by Melissa Suber, (Clarion Books,
$16.00, ISBN 978-0-618-59544-0), 32p, Ages 4-8.
From the moment they hatch Penny, Polly, and Molly wrestle with
the worms, race the bugs, rope the rooster, dive bomb the flies,
and tinker with the tractor's engine. The farmer pleads, "Make
them be good." Mom replies, "They are good." However, Mom begins
to have doubts, until one day the tractor breaks down nearly
demolishing the hen house and landing in the pigs' mud hole.
Fortunately, the chicks know just what to do. "Under the hood
of the tractor, the chicks tightened belts, checked fluids,
and patched a few holes with Molly's super-strong mud mixture."
These three super-talented chickens will have kids cheering
for more success stories. |
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CASEY BACK
AT BAT
written by Dan Gutman, illus. by Steve Johnson/Lou Fancher,
(HarperCollins Children's Books, $6.99, ISBN 098-0-06-056025-6),
32p, Ages 4-8.
As the famous baseball saga continues, Casey comes to bat with
Mudville tied for first place. They were down three runs to
one in the final inning, with two men on and two out. "There
seemed no hope of winning. Yet they would not surrender. "Their
motto–'Never Quit!' Mighty Casey grabbed his bat. It was his
turn to hit." Sure enough, Casey hits a fly that soars out of
the park across the Atlantic, encounters the tower of Pisa,
knocks the nose off the Sphinx in Egypt, races through time
to frighten the dinosaurs into extinction, out into space past
the astronauts, and finally back into the park into the glove
of Moe, the shortstop. The mighty Casey flies out, and Mudville
must wait again for a win. This is a great read-aloud, especially
for baseball fans. |
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THE EMPEROR
OF ABSURDIA
written/illus. by Chris Riddell, (HarperCollins Books, $17.99,
ISBN 978-0-06-144929-1), 32p, Ages 4-8.
Outlandish adventures await a young boy when he dreams of sky-swimming
fish, umbrella trees, a fuzzy wardrobe monster, and pointy birds.
Breakfast is served, followed by supper, which promptly hatches
and flies off to mama. When the Emperor decides to follow the
baby dragon, he encounters a very disgruntled mama. "The dragon
chased the Emperor across the bouncy mountains, and through
the pillow hills, under the umbrella trees and toward the flower
beds." Rescued by the squawking pointy bird, the Emperor tumbles
into the arms of the Wardrobe Monster, who tucks him into bed.
In the morning, the young boy awakes to find all his favorite
toys from his dream. The magic is in award-winning Chris Riddell's
marvelous illustrations. |
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UP, UP, AND
AWAY
written by Ginger Wadsworth, illus. by Patricia J. Wynne, (Charlesbridge,
$16.95 HC, ISBN 978-1-58089-221-6, $7.97 PB, ISBN 978-1-58089-222-3),
32p, Ages 4-7.
In spring when warm winds blow, baby garden spiders hatch and
emerge from their protective silken sacs. One small arachnid
eludes predators, including brothers and sisters, spins a long
silk strand and is carried by air currents over fields and meadows,
where it finally settles on a fence post. There she spins a
web to catch passing food, stays until she mates, builds her
own egg sac, and the cycle begins again. Endnotes provide information
on garden spiders, their black and yellow markings, the strange
pattern of their webs, their habitats, and life span. |
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ONCE UPON
A TWICE
written by Denise Doyen, illus. by Barry Moser, (Random House,
$16.99, ISBN 978-0-375-95612-6), 32p, Ages 4-7.
"Once upon a twice,/In the middle of the nice,/The moon was
on the rice/And the Mice were scoutaprowl . . ." On their nightly
forage, elders warn young mice about the dangerous creatures
in the woods and ponds. Young Jam Boy disregards the warnings
and wanders off to watch a beetle and smell the flowers. He
doesn't hear a silent water snake approach, hiss, and strike.
Years later, and an older, whiskered Jam speaks to a new generation
of mice, and lectures them against wandering off. This cautionary
tale of youthful arrogance and overconfidence will have many
youngsters on the edge of their seats. With its glorious, nonsensical
words (riskarascal, goofiddles, whispercroon) and wonderful
illustrations of rice paddies, huge yellow moon, and wide-eyed
mouslings, this tale is too good to wait for Halloween to enjoy.
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THE CLEVER
STICK
written/illus. by John Lechner, (Candlewick Press, $14.99, ISBN
978-0-7636-3950-1), 40p, Ages 5-8.
"Once upon a time, there was a clever stick. Ever since he had
fallen off the tree, he had been sharp." He calculates algebra,
creates poetry, admires the music of birds, and appreciates
the beauty of roses, however, he is unable to communicate and
share his thoughts with the plants and animals, until one day
he realizes that he is capable of drawing lines in the sand.
From that time on, he creates tapestries of artwork and, sure
enough, everyone takes notice. When rains wash away his masterpieces,
good-natured stick creates more pictures to entertain and communicate
with nature. He even fashions an umbrella from a fallen leaf
to stay dry. With a clever and simple message of perseverance
and finding one's voice, children will fall in love with this
imaginative and ingenious little stick. |
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LOUSY ROTTEN
STINKIN' GRAPES
written by Margie Palatini, illus. by Barry Moser, (Simon &
Schuster, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-689-80246-1), 32p,
Ages 4-8.
In a humorous twist on Aesop's fable, "The Fox and the Grapes",
fox spies mouth-watering grapes on a vine high in a tree. Priding
himself on his cleverness, he gathers paper, pencil, and graphs
to calculate a method of reaching the luscious grapes. He tells
Possum, "Here's the plan. Bear stands–here. Beaver stands on
Bear's head–there. Porcupine stands on Beaver's tail. I stand
on Porcupine. You stand on me . . . and voila! Grapes!" Each
animal tries to convince fox of a simpler plan, but fox ignores
their ideas. When all his calculations yield no grapes, fox
gives up and stomps off, stating, "I, for one, wouldn't think
of eating those lousy, rotten, stinkin' grapes now, even if
I could." The other animals are shown enjoying the grapes thrown
down by Possum, who climbed the tree to pick them. Readers and
listeners will enjoy the expressions of the doubting animals
trying to accommodate the prideful fox. |
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TACKY GOES
TO CAMP
written by Helen Lester, illus. by Lynn Munsinger, (Houghton
Mifflin Books for Children, $16.00, ISBN 978-0-618-98812-9),
32p, Ages 5-8.
Lovable, overweight, and bumbling Tacky joins Goodly, Lovely,
Angel, Neatly, and Perfect on a trip to Camp Whoopihaha. Always
the odd penguin, Tacky's supplies consist of a television, pizza,
roller blades, and circus tent. He lags behind in rock climbing,
synchronized swimming, archery, arts and crafts, and canoeing.
When a bear threatens the camp, it's Tacky's obsession for "s'mores"
that protect everyone. "The leftovers upon which Tacky had slept
had become stuck to his sleeping bag, forming a graham-crackery,
chocolaty, marshmallowy face." Frightened by the gooey monster,
the bear runs off and Tacky is one sticky hero. Children will
enjoy the humorous absurdity of this summer camp story. |
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BUT WHO WILL
BELL THE CATS?
written/illus. by Cynthia von Buhler, (Houghton Mifflin Books
for Children, $16.00, ISBN 978-0-618-99718-3), 32p,
Ages 4-7.
According to an Aesop's Fable, mice of long ago proposed to
attach a bell to their common enemy, the cat, in order to hear
its approach. However, the question of who would do the deed
remained a mystery. Cynthia von Buhler has finally solved the
riddle through the efforts of a small mouse and brown bat, who
attempt to place bells around the necks of eight pampered castle
cats. "Upstairs, the cats ate at the banquet table in the elegant
dinning hall. Down below, Mouse ate crumbs that fell through
the floorboards into the basement." Determined to enjoy the
castle's luscious banquet, Mouse devises several schemes that
involve armor, a dog costume, and a fashion show. However, Mouse
is constantly captured by the cats, but always rescued by Brown
Bat. During a birthday party for the Princess of the castle,
his mission is finally accomplished with help from an unusual
source. With themes of bravery, creativity, and determination,
an act of kindness finally bells the cats. The original fable
prefaces the story. |
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HENRY & THE
CRAZED CHICKEN PIRATES
written by Carolyn Crimi, illus. by John Manders, (Candlewick
Books, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-3601-2), 40p, Ages
4-8.
The bunnies from Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies return
in their second book about floppy-eared pirate scallywags. Henry
finds a message in a bottle reading, "We're coming to steal
all yer loot. We'd appreciate yer complete cooperation. BOWK!
Sincerely, Yer worst enemies." The buck-teethed buccaneers are
too busy shooting each other out of cannons and swinging from
the ship's masts to listen to Henry's warnings of peril. While
writing a book about coping with impending danger, Henry fails
to notice a hot-air balloon, filled with chicken pirates, descend
and capture the bunnies. Henry comes to the rescue, captures
the chickens, and sets them adrift in a boat with books about
ocean sunsets, ways to cook coconuts, and warnings about not
drinking seawater. Children will enjoy the goofy characters,
a light-hearted story, and a hero who is very prepared for anything.
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A BIRTHDAY
FOR BEAR
written by Bonny Becker, illus. by Kady MacDonald Denton, (Candlewick
Press, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-3746-0), 56p, Ages
4-7.
The endearing duo from A Visitor for Bear returns in
an amusing confrontation over birthdays. "Bear didn't like birthdays.
He didn't like birthday parties or balloons. He didn't like
birthday cards or songs or candles." However, Mouse loves birthdays.
In four chapters, Mouse presents Bear with an invitation to
his party, written by Mouse. Apologizing for his "shameful trickery",
Mouse returns as a deliveryman with red balloons, a postman
with a birthday greeting, and a miniature Santa dragging a present
down the chimney. Bear always sees through the devious behavior
and angrily sweeps Mouse out the door. When Bear spies a pink
package on his doorstep containing a lovely chocolate cake,
Mouse pops out of the cake, and Bear rethinks birthday parties.
Mouse's relentless determination and persistence prevail, as
Bear enjoys the cake, balloons, present (red roller skates from
Mouse) and most of all their friendship. |
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FOX WALKED
ALONE
written/illus. by Barbara Reid, (Albert Whitman & Co., $16.99,
ISBN 978-0-8075-2548-7), 32p, Ages 5-7.
"Night after night, Fox walked alone,/came home to a bed made
of feathers and bone./He hunted at night and slept through the
day./Fox walked alone; he liked it that way." On one unusual
day, Fox awakens to find animals passing by in pairs. Curious,
he follows at a distance. The growing procession travels over
mountains and across deserts, resting at night as a group. As
storm clouds begin to appear, more animals join the group. Feeling
hungry, Fox detours to a deserted city, but becomes lost. Upon
discovering two doves in a cage, he releases them, and in gratitude,
they lead him through streets and alleys to safety. The journey
eventually leads to a huge boat resting on dry land and another
fox waiting for him. "As Noah welcomed one and all, a steady
rain began to fall." The illustrations are cleverly rendered
in Plasticine clay. |
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THE UNDERGROUND
GATORS
written by Tina Casey, illus. by Lynn Munsinger, (Dutton Children's
Books, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-525-47213-1), 32p, 4+.
"Legend has it that alligators live in the sewers of New York
City." This explains why hot dogs are so popular (alligators
love them), why smoke comes up from streets (alligators love
to barbecue), why there are wires on the Brooklyn Bridge (to
dry their laundry), and why the Empire State Building is tall
(to see Florida while the laundry dries). Some alligators tire
of city life and swim away, but there is speculation that they
never left. After all, who plays Go Fish with the babysitter
at night? Where do the missing socks go from the dryer? (Alligators
love sock puppets.).What do teachers do during the summer? (Alligators
love education.) Why do donuts have holes in the middle? (To
carry on their tales.) Imaginative answers to questions that
have plagued the human race for years are all explained in this
hilarious spoof on alligators. Tina Casey adds an endnote about
the urban legend of alligators in the sewer systems of New York
City, what the Department of Environmental Protection has pulled
from the sewers, and an environmental warning about flushing
things down drains. Adults will enjoy this tale as well as children.
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