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BEST BOOKS OF THE
YEAR
Best of Year 2008
Notables from 2007
Notables from 2006
Notables from 2005
Notables from 2004
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THEMES
Adventure
Animals
Anthologies
Classics
Favorites
Fiction for the Young
Folk Literature
Friendship
Historical Fiction
Holiday/Special Days
Humor & Nonsense
Insects
Nature
Non-Fiction
Oceans, Lakes, Rivers,
& Ponds
Poetry
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Toddlers
Preschool
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Middle Grades
Upper Grades
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3rd - 5th Grade
Reading to children should not stop as they progress
through the elementary grades. Children's picture books are wonderful
at any age, and life would be very dreary without them. Picture books
for older children are longer in length now, contain more complex
themes, and sophisticated artwork.
Depending on interest children may enjoy comedy, mystery, adventure,
fantasy, spellbinders, poetry, non-fiction, historical fiction, and
science fiction books.
Whether they read extremely well or not, the family storytime should
continue. Children's listening abilities are still beyond their reading
abilities.
CLASSICS: When children become familiar with the classics, they have
a foundation for making comparisons to other stories. Not all books
will be excellent, but children will know a story's possibilities
when they have been exposed to great literature; literature in which
laughter, pain, hunger, satisfaction, love and joy are found. Read
stories in their original versions, not the watered-down versions
that lack drama or life.
HUMOR: Even the most reluctant reader cannot resist a book that is
hilarious. Books that end on a note of despair are not suitable for
this age group. Books should portray the world as a place where, despite
all its serious problems, there is still hope. Fractured fairy tales
are appropriate now. These stories slightly resemble the traditional
tales, but they challenge readers to compare, contrast, and think
while laughing.
FANTASY: This is a world of wonder, and strange powers, where anything
can happen and often does. Books of fantasy are sometimes gentle,
sometimes wild, sometimes humorous, and sometimes deadly serious,
however, at this age be careful that the content is appropriate for
the child's age level.
HISTORICAL FICTION: Facts, date, names and places are usually too
dry for children. However, children do have an interest in the past
when the focus is on people and how they lived. The everyday details
of how adults and children worked, played, dressed, and lived makes
for a compelling story. When history is presented this way, kids can
better connect with the past in significant ways.
MYSTERIES: Mysteries have special page-turner appeal. These books
are built on action and suspense, and less on character development.
They provide a simple plot, familiar characters, and welcome support
to independent reading. Many adult readers acknowledge that this is
where their love affair with books began.
FOLK TALES: Now that children are secure in their understanding of
real and make-believe, they find safe thrills with witches, dragons,
and the unknown. These are the years when tall tales with humorous
exaggeration, fairy tales, and myths are most appealing. Through such
characters children will encounter danger, overcome fear, taste courage,
and triumph over all odds. Try introducing folktales from many countries
and cultures. These stories are not only entertaining, but the different
versions provide opportunities form children to understand how universal
these stories are.
PICTURE BOOKS FOR OLDER CHILDREN: These illustrated storybooks tend
to be longer than most picture books but shorter than novels. It's
not only the length that separates these books, but it's more a matter
of content. These books have more complex stories with a kind of literary
sophistication that is beyond younger children.
POETRY: Until now poetry has probably been limited to listening and
chanting some familiar rhymes. Although they can read it themselves,
poetry still should be enjoyed together. |
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THERE'S A
BABIRUSA IN MY BATHTUB!: Fact and Fancy About Curious Creatures
written by Maxine Rose Schur, illus. by Michael S. Maydak, (Dawn
Publications, $16.95 HC ISBN 978-1-58469-117-4, $8.95 PB
ISBN 978-1-58469-118-1), 32p, Ages 7-12.
"When all the animals were in the ark/ The good Lord said to
Noah,/'You've got the dog; you've got the frog,/But where is
that little jerboa?'" Thirteen clever and humorous poems feature
little-known animals and their odd habits and habitats. In addition
to the little Jerboa, the Indonesian Babirusa, the jungle Civet,
the rainforest Colugo, the Australian Dingo, the ocean-bottom
Hagfish, the Central American Kinkajou, the Southeast Asian
Loris, the Manatee and Dugong, the Amazon Matamata, the Okapi
of the Congo, the Amazon Tamandua, and the Australian Tasmanian
Devil are featured with lush illustrations depicting their unusual
environments. Endpapers contain tips for teachers and parents
to promote reading and comprehension, with an emphasis on fluency,
phonics, and vocabulary. |
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A FINDER'S
MAGIC
written by Philippa Pearce, illus. by Helen Craig, (Candlewick
Press, $15.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-4072-9), 128p, Ages 7-9.
The practice of finding a lost something involves time, investigation,
and a good memory. Till, the young boy in Philippa Pearce's
charming story, learns this valuable lesson, when his dog runs
away. A strange little man called Finder, who disappears at
will and communicates with animals, offers to help by interviewing
witnesses to the dog's disappearance. Finder and Till question
two obliging older ladies from Gammers' Meadow, and pass messages
to an aloof heron, a disgruntled mole, and a brindy riddling
cat. The cat, however, holds the key to the mysterious disappearance.
When asked about the disappearance, Brindy replies, "Pussycat,
pussycat, where have you been?/I at the window watching two
that were green./Pussycat, pussycat, what made you stare?/A
little dog barking who wasn't there." Part detective story,
part fairy tale, readers and listeners will enjoy the mystery
and surprise ending to an engaging tale of a boy's enduring
love for his dog. |
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TOYS GO OUT
written by Emily Jenkins, illus. by Paul O. Zelinsky, (Yearling,
$5.99, ISBN 978-0-385-73661-9), 144p, Ages 9-12.
StingRay, Lumpy, and Plastic are not only toys that belong to
a little girl, but they are also best friends. At times, they
are very insecure and uncertain about their role and purpose
in her life, but together they face a monster washing machine,
a strange school, commercials, dogs, and bathtubs. Shy Lumpy
fears the washing machine and is terrified when a peanut butter
accident results in being washed. Turns out that Frank is a
great conversationalist, and Lumpy deliberately causes accidents
when he feels like company. Gentle Plastic has an identity crisis,
until TukTuk, the towel, convinces her that she's a beautiful
rubber ball. Know-it-all StingRay learns humility, when she
realizes that she cannot float in the bathtub. For all children
who belong to toys, this story of three extraordinary friends
is a must. |
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THE BUTTERFLY
BALL AND THE GRASSHOPPER'S FEAST
written by William Plomer, illus. by Alan Aldridge, (Templar
Books, $22.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-4422-2), 96p, Ages
8+.
Beautifully written verse and stunning illustrations surround
forest animals that prepare and travel to a magnificent ball
given by butterflies and grasshoppers. Creatures with human-like
attributes in Victorian-style clothing fly, creep, hop, and
walk to the ball, being careful to stay away from the hornets
and wasps. "From their sharp front teeth to the tips of their
tails/The Rodents were thrilled by their trip on the rails/In
a Midland express with the Princess of Wales." Toad
is told by the doctor to stay in bed until the pollution that
he swallowed was gone. Children will enjoy wadding through frog's
water bogged house, playing cricket with the snails, dodging
the hornets and wasps, and riding the train with the dangerous,
crafty fox. Originally published in 1973 and awarded the Whitbread
Children's Book Award, this new edition includes detailed notes
on each creature by wildlife expert Richard Fitter.
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PERSEPHONE
written by Sally Pomme Clayton, illus. by Virginia Lee, (Eerdman's
Books, $18.00, ISBN 978-0-8028-5349-3), 26p, Ages
7-10.
Snatched by Hades, god of the Underworld, the beautiful young
goddess, Persephone, is taken to his underground home to become
his bride. So distraught over the loss of her daughter, Demeter,
goddess of Earth, curses the land, and nothing grows. "It was
a year of hunger and misery. It was winter all the time." In
an effort to corect the problem, Zeus sends Hermes to fetch
Persephone back. Before leaving the underground world, Persephone
eats three pomegranate seeds, causing her to remain for three
months every year with Hades while winter sets in above ground.
This dramatic retelling of a famous Greek myth explains the
reason for the changing of seasons. Endnotes describe how Greek
myths intermingled with ancient Greek religion and culture.
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DINOSAUR
written by Stephanie Stansbie, illus. by Robert Nicholls/James
Robins, (Little, Brown & Co., $19.99, ISBN 978-0-316-03583-5),
32p, Ages 8+.
A letter inside the front cover informs readers that Henry R.
Gideon, a professor of paleontology in England, is retiring
and leaving his treasured handbook (extensive scientific information,
collected over a lifetime) to Dr. Brown. His journal guides
readers through the fascinating lives of dozens of dinosaurs.
The bumpy textured cover, fold out pages with charts and diagrams,
layered flaps, removable index cards on sixty dinosaurs, a huge
two-sided poster, a tri-fold historical timeline, and a transparent
page that changes perspective as it's page turns, make this
a great choice for dinosaur devotees. |
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TUMTUM &
NUTMEG: Adventures Beyond Nutmouse Hall
written by Emily Bearn, illus. by Nick Price, (Little, Brown
& Co., $16.99, ISBN 978-0-316-02703-8), 512p, Ages
6-9.
In the dilapidated British home of Arthur and Lucy Mildew and
their inventor father, reside a pair of non-adventurous mice,
Tumtum and Nutmeg. Their residence, a forgotten broom closet,
is as magnificent as the Mildew's house is shabby. Tumtum and
Nutmeg live a quiet life, until one day they decide to repair
the Mildew's Rose Cottage. Rewiring heaters, darning socks,
reworking Mr. Mildew's non-functioning inventions, patching
shoes, and making the dollhouse livable is hard work, but very
rewarding. Little do they realize what marvelous adventures
await them. With the help of the mouse community, they rescue
friends, defeat enemies, emerge victorious, and make their world
a better place in which to live. In the first of three stories,
the children's mouse-hating Aunt Ivy spots the mice and tries
to poison Tumtum, but General Marchmouse and his mouse battalion
launch a full-scale attack and drive her away. The second story
concerns Miss Tiptoes and her pogo-bouncing ballerinas, who
rescue the adventurous General from the gerbil cage in Arthur's
classroom. The final story surrounds greedy rat pirates, who
kidnap Tumtum and Nutmeg and demand a ransom from Arthur and
Lucy. Liqueur-filled chocolates are returned, the rats become
inebriated, and the two mice escape on the rat's pirate ship.
These clever stories from England teach that there are consequences
to greed and selfishness, and that happiness comes from loyalty
and friendship. Hopefully, more adventures await these two unadventurous
mice. |
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ANIMALS MARCO
POLO SAW: An Adventure on the Silk Road
written by Sandra Markle, illus. by Daniela Terrazzini, (Chronicle
Books, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-8118-5051-3), 48p, Ages
7-10.
Sandra Markle takes readers back in time to 1271 and Marco Polo's
adventures on the famous Silk Road. To learn more about his
family's silk cloth business, Marco, along with his father and
uncle, travel by caravan through Eastern Europe, Middle East,
across Mt. Ararat, and into the Far East, where he meets the
great emperor of China–Kublai Khan. They encounter amazing people,
exotic landscapes, and unusual animals, along with massive dust
storms, bandits, a black liquid that bubbles from the ground,
the beauty of the Persian Gulf, Tajikistan's cold winter, harsh
deserts, and the horsemen of Mongolia. Side notes explain the
origins of silk cloth, oil, passport tablets, and unusual animals
never before seen–jackals, Van cats, Zebu oxen, Persian lions,
Snow cats, porcupines, yaks, mountain sheep, Arabian camels,
and Gray Whales. Years later while in prison, Marco shared his
adventures with fellow prisoners, which were eventually written
down in a collection called The Description of the World. "Suddenly,
people wanted to know more about the world. Many European countries
sent people out to explore. New interactions between the West
and East had begun. For better and for worse, they would change
the world forever." |
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THE WIZARD
OF OZ
written by L. Frank Baum, illus. by Charles Santore, (Sterling
Publishing, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-4027-6625-1), 96p,
Ages 7+.
Originally published in 1900, this enduring classic tells of
a Kansas cyclone that transports a girl, her dog, and house
to a magical land called Oz, where she begins an unforgettable
journey to return home to Kansas. When her house lands on the
Wicked Witch of the East, her sister, the Wicked Witch of the
West, becomes a powerful enemy. Dorothy is advised to traverse
the yellow brick road to the City of Emeralds and ask the Great
Wizard for help. On her way, she meets three special friends,
who also seek help: a stuffed Scarecrow in need of a brain,
a rusty Tin Woodsman looking for a heart, and the cowardly Lion
searching for courage. Through blue Munchkin land, over poisoned
poppy fields, into the sparkling Emerald City, sidetracked by
a Wicked Witch of the West and her winged monkeys, Dorothy and
friends finally reach the Wizard, only to discover that he cannot
help. The story is condensed, rather than adapted or retold,
to accommodate Charles Santore's sixty stunning watercolor illustrations.
However, the heart, brain, and courage of the story remain for
children of another generation to enjoy. The Introduction, written
by Michael Patrick Hearn, leading authority on L. Frank Baum,
explains the making of this unforgettable classic, which should
be an essential addition to all home libraries. |
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