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BEST BOOKS OF THE
YEAR
Best of Year 2010
Best of Year 2009
Notables from 2007
Notables from 2006
Notables from 2005
Notables from 2004
Notables from 2003
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THEMES
Animals
Anthologies
Bears
Bedtime
Classics
Concept Books
Dinosaurs
Families
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
First Grade
Second Grade
Third-Fifth Grades
Middle Grades
Upper Grades
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Kindergarten
Kindergarten is the time
when children become more aware and curious about people, places and
things. Their social world now includes others outside the family.
They are now ready for stories that help them try on different personalities
and assist them over difficult stages. They need stories that are
written for the sole purpose of providing fun, entertainment, and
enjoyment.
Kindergartners enjoy seeing characters who take risks, gain control
over their surroundings and where all ends in happy ever after. Unlike
preschool books, these stories have a beginning, middle, and end.
Introduce some folktales, but stay away from complex or gory ones.
Try some folktales from other countries and cultures. They not only
entertain, but teach children how universal stories are. Choose versions
that maintain some of the flow of the original language.
Because their attention spans are increasing, introduce a few of the
more complicated fairytales, but stay away from the more gruesome
ones.
Wordless books require that children interpret the story from the
illustrations. The reader must follow the pictures in sequence for
the story to make sense. Choose a variety of styles from muted to
brilliant colors to black and white. Pictures also help children focus
on details.
Because people, places and things are becoming more important to kindergartners,
these books should give simple, straightforward information relating
to the real world.
This is an exciting age for kindergartners, full of new and exhausting
information. Don't push for learning to read just yet. Listening to
stories is where reading begins. |
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DUCK
written/illus. by Randy Cecil, (Candlewick Press, $15.99, ISBN
978-0-7636-3072-0), 40p, Ages 4-7.
Each night when the amusement park closes, Duck, a wooden carousel
animal leaves her post to roam around and longingly watch the
flocks fly by. One spring day a little lost duckling wanders
through the front gate and adopts Duck, who becomes a surrogate
mother as she teaches Ducking how to find bugs in the mud and,
most of all, manners. Duck even attempts to teach the fledgling
the art of flying, but being wooden presents a challenge, and
he must stay behind when Duckling flies away. The next spring
Duckling returns to give Duck her long-awaited flight, on his
back. "And that day they laughed together and played together,
just as they had so many times before." Children need to hear
more stories about unconditional love. |
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THERE'S NOTHING TO DO ON MARS
written/illus. by Chris Gall, (Little, Brown and Co., $16.99,
ISBN 978-0-316-16684-3), 32p, Ages 4-7.
When Davy Martin's family moves to Mars in a spaceship resembling
an Airstream motor home, Davy complains about nothing to do
on the red planet with its freezing nights, dust storms, and
no water. One day Davy and his robot dog, Polaris, decide to
seek adventure. "Don't bark at the moons and be careful what
you sniff-you might overload your circuits." They explore the
landscape (similar to the barren Southwest), build a huge fort,
and stumble across Martians who smell terrible. Davy and Polaris
accidentally find a source of water, which suddenly explodes
and sends water gushing through canyons and riverbeds to the
oceans, thus changing the planet forever. Everyone was happy
to have water, especially the Martians. However, the planet
becomes overpopulated as more people arrive, and Davy's parents
decide to move to Saturn. This is a great book, especially for
children whose families are moving. There is also the excitement
and anticipation of unknown adventures in foreign places.
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LITTLE HOOT
written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illus. by Jen Corace, (Chronicle
Books, $12.99, ISBN 978-0-8118-6023-9), 36p, Ages
3-6.
Little Owl loves school, playing hide-and-seek, and practicing
his staring. However, when it comes to bedtime, Mama and Papa
Owl have a difficult time convincing Little Owl to stay up instead
of going to bed. In a clever role reversal, Little Owl complains,
"All my other friends get to go to bed so much earlier than
me! Why do I always have to stay up and play? It's not fair!"
Little Owl spends all night jumping on his bed, playing swords,
climbing on the jungle gym, building a fort, and jumping in
the leaves, until at last he falls exhausted into bed. Children
who dislike going to bed will appreciate this twist on a universal
problem. |
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HARRIS FINDS HIS FEET
written/illus. by Catherine Rayner, (Good Books, $16.95, ISBN
978-1-56148-616-8), 28p, Ages 4-7.
Harris is a rather small hare with enormous feet. His grandfather
explains that all hares have big feet, which are used for hopping
high, climbing mountains, digging holes to keep cool, and running
fast from predators. With all this wisdom and guidance, Harris
continues to grow, learning important lessons for life. One
day he outruns his grandfather and realizes that he is finally
all grown up. "And Harris ran, leaping over streams and bouncing
through meadows on his big, strong feet that would take him
to the end of the world-and back home again." The watercolors
are endearing and highly imaginative in this coming-of-age story.
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DUCK SOUP
written/illus. by Jackie Urbanovic, (HarperCollins, $16.99,
ISBN 978-0-06-121441-7), 32p, Ages 4-7.
Max's friends from Duck at the Door believe that he fell into
the soup pot that he was cooking. Brody the dog, Dakota the
cat, and Bebe the bird come to this decision after finding a
feather floating in the soup. (Max was in the garden picking
herbs for the soup.) In an attempt to save him, they ruin Max's
masterpiece soup by pouring it down the drain. "Brody hoped
that the soup would go down the drain and Max would stay behind."
They think Max's head is a potato, his eyeballs are onions,
and his feet are carrot slices. Max returns and is stunned that
his soup is gone, but the friends cheer him up and remind him
"at least you're not duck soup." The lively and exuberant illustrations
are a definite plus for children to enjoy. |
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LITTLE BLUE TRUCK
written by Alice Schertle, illus. by Jill McElmurry, (Harcourt
Children's Books, $16.00, ISBN 978-0-15-205661-2), 32p,
Ages 3-7.
A small, cheerful little blue truck chugs along a country road
beeping at his friends, when he is pushed off the road by a
rude dump truck. "Coming through! I've big important things
to do!" The obnoxious dump truck misses the curve and lands
in the mud. The little truck tries to help but the mud catches
him too. All the friends come to their aid and teach the dump
truck a lesson about neighborliness. Children will love the
rhyming stanzas. "'Cluck!' said a chicken,/and her chick said,
'Peep!'/ 'Maaa!' said a goat./Blue said, 'Beep!'" Filled with
truck sounds and animal noises, this is a rollicking homage
to the power of friendship and the rewards of helping others.
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A VISITOR FOR BEAR
written by Bonny Becker, illus. by Kady MacDonald Denton, (Candlewick
Press, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-7636-2807-9), 56p, Ages
2-6.
"No visitors allowed" reads the sign on Bear's front door. "No
one ever came to Bear's house. It had always been that way,
and Bear was quite sure he didn't like visitors." However, all
this changes after a small, gray, wide-eyed mouse knocks on
Bear's door. When rebuffed, mouse turns up in the cupboard asking
for a cup of tea, in a drawer inquiring about a bit of cheese,
and finally in the refrigerator. Bear boots him out and grows
increasingly frustrated to the point of boarding up windows,
cementing the chimney, and plugging the bathtub drain. When
mouse shows up in the teakettle, an exhausted Bear breaks down
and relents. The two become friends, discovering that they have
many things in common. Bear decides that his sign is for salesmen,
not for friends, and a lasting friendship begins. The story
and language lend very well to reading aloud. The characters
are lovable and endearing, even the grumpy one. |
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TADPOLE REX
written/illus. by Kurt Cyrus, (Harcourt Children's Books, $16.00,
ISBN 978-0-15-205990-3), 40p, Ages 3-7.
A Tyrannosaurus Rex tromps through a swamp leaving muddy footprints
and watery bubbles, which is a perfect place for a tiny polliwog
to grow. Protected from predators, the little tike begins to
develop physically, but "somewhere inside him deep in his core,/there
slumbered an inner tyrannosaur." Unfortunately, Rex doesn't
understand that he lives in a prehistoric swamp and will never
become a dinosaur. Nevertheless, he does possess a huge personality,
and with a mighty "Ribbet" Rex takes on the mighty dinosaurs.
Even though the dinosaurs are long gone, "the hoppers and croakers are here to stay." The scratchboard and watercolor oversized illustrations
combine with science and a rhyming text to make this a delightful
read-aloud. A Note from the Author presents additional information
on the development of frogs from plant-eaters to meat eaters,
clarifies that they predate dinosaurs by 100 million years,
and explains the many new environmental challenges that frogs
face. |
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28 GOOD NIGHT STORIES
written by Various Authors, Concept/Connecting Story by Brigitte
Weninger, illus. by Eve Tharlet/J. P. Corderoch, translated
by Kathryn Bishop, (miniedition, $18.99, ISBN 978-0-698-40081-8),
128p, Ages 3-5.
A small guardian angel-in-training and an old bear agree to
tell each other bedtime stories for twenty-eight days. The little
angel's assignment is to give a special word to his sleeping
child each night. He also desires to pass on stories to the children, and bear
helps him in this endeavor. They tell each other stories about
cloud children, a small hippo that yearns to be a pilot with
a red helmet, a white elephant and old man who watch the stars
together, plus twenty-five additional stories that will capture
the hearts of children. In between the stories, the old bear
and little angel discuss outer space, heavenly elephants, shy
bears, grasshoppers (tweeter-machines), guardian angels, planets,
constellations, and snoring–subjects which usually lead into
the next story. As always, Eve Tharlet's illustrations are delightful.
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BOBO AND THE NEW NEIGHBOR
written /illus. by Gail Page, (Bloomsbury Children's Books,
$16.99, ISBN 978-1-59990-009-4), 32p, Ages 3-6.
Bobo is a helpful dog. He loves long walks, new neighbors, the
mailman, and muffins. Sometimes in his eagerness to help, he
lands in hot water. When his owner invites a new neighbor for
tea, Bobo helps prepare for her visit. Due to an encounter with
the laundry (instead of carrying in the laundry, he decides
to wear it), Bobo is mistaken for the new neighbor, Mrs. Wrinklerump.
He decides not to correct the mistake, when he spies the muffins
that are set out to welcome her. Instead, he samples the newly
baked muffins and eats all but one. Only the cat is suspicious
and exposes him as an imposter. By the time the real Mrs. Wrinklerump
appears, only one muffin remains. Bobo does the right thing,
cuts the muffin in four pieces and everyone shares. This well-meaning,
big-hearted canine is sure to warm every heart that reads and
listens to this charming story. |
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FANNY
written/illus. by Holly Hobbie, (Little, Brown and Co., $16.99,
ISBN 978-0-316-16687-4), 32p, Ages 3-7.
Fanny desires a Connie doll, a glitzy department store designer
doll, like the ones her friends have. Mom says no, "Because
I don't like the way Connie dolls look . . . They're just too
. . .much." Undaunted, Fanny makes her own doll and calls her
Annabelle. When friends tease her about the strange-looking
doll, Fanny persists and makes Annabelle more clothes as well
as her own doll, which she calls Connie. From frustration and
embarrassment to persistence and confidence, Fanny is a sweet
story about ingenuity and perseverence. As always, Holly Hobbie's
illustrations are adorable. Endpapers contain an Annabelle paper
doll and instructions for assembly. |
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THUMP, QUACK, MOO: A WACKY ADVENTURE
written by Doreen Cronin, illus. by Betsy Lewin, (Atheneum Books,
$16.99, ISBN 978-1-4169-1630-7), 36p, Ages 3-7.
With excitement and enthusiasm Farmer Brown's chickens, cows,
and Duck prepare for the annual Corn Maze Festival. The chickens
build a fence around the cornfield, the cows paint the barn,
Duck builds the ticket booth, and Farmer Brown constructs the
Statue of Liberty corn maze. "The mice are taking a correspondence
course on meteorology and are too busy to lend a hand." Duck
remains unenthusiastic until he decides to redesign the corn
maze. He sneaks into the cornfield with night-vision goggles,
a glow-in-the-dark ruler, sketchbook, graph paper, and art supplies.
On opening day, Farmer Brown is in for a big surprise. Children
will giggle their way through this one. |
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BEAR STAYS UP FOR CHRISTMAS
written by Karma Wilson, illus. by Jane Chapman, (Margaret K.
McElderry Books, $9.99, ISBN 978-1-4169-5896-3), 36p,
Ages 3-7.
On the day before Christmas, Bear's friends are determined to
help him stay awake and enjoy Christmas this year. They brew
tea, pop corn, decorate the tree, hang stockings, sing Christmas
songs, and bake fruitcake. Exhausted, the friends fall asleep,
but bear stays awake to finish the preparations. "He toils all
night/until the sun rises,/making his friends/their Christmas
surprises!" On Christmas morning, Bear discovers a lovely quilt
from Santa, which is perfect for snuggling down to hibernate.
Children will enjoy the rhyming text and charming illustrations
in this lively tale of friendship, perseverance, and giving
to others. |
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THE LITTLE TOY SHOP
written/illus. by Frances Wolfe, (Tundra Books, $19.95, ISBN
978-0-88776-865-1), 32p, Ages 3-6.
"On a sunny street, right across from a park with whispering
trees and a babbling brook, there is magic to be found in a
little toy shop, where you will always find just the right toy!"
A small stuffed bunny arrives at Mr. Kringle's shop, is given
a price tag of five dollars, and put on the shelf next to a
large teddy bear. Teddy introduces the new arrival to the other
toys, and explains that they all wait for Mr. Kringle to find
them a home. When sold to a little girl for her only dollar,
a complicated series of events occur in which the bunny is accidentally
sold to another customer, rejected by the new owner, thrown
out, chewed by a dog, and dropped in the brook. The small bunny
is discovered, cleaned up, and placed in a box for delivery
to a special little girl from Santa. In spite of his missing
button and not so fluffy fir, he is greatly loved. This charming
tale of lost and found will sure to please all who are young
and young-at-heart this holiday season. |
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HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING
Written/illus. by Bob Graham, (Candlewick Press, $16.99, ISBN
978-0-7636-3903-7), 40 p., Ages 3-7.
"High above the city, no one heard the soft thud of feathers
against glass." So begins a tender and compassionate tale of
a small boy, who discovers an injured bird and convinces his
mother to take it home. With the help of his parents and a lot
of love and patience, over the next month the bird is healed
and released to fly again. The appeal of the story is in the
details-the saving of one feather, the feeding with an eyedropper,
a child's room filled with animal objects, and a calendar on
which the days of healing are marked. As the author states,
". . . there is still hope in a coming generation of children
who have curiosity and empathy with the world around them, and
that care and attention can sometimes fix broken wings." |
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IF YOU GIVE A CAT A CUPCAKE
written by Laura Numeroff, illus. by Felicia Bond, (Laura Geringer
Books, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-06-028324-7), 32p, Ages
3-7.
In the tradition of the previous books (If You Give a Mouse
a Cookie, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, and If You Give a Pig
a Party), the silliness continues with a small cat, who is given
a cupcake by a little girl. Of course, the cupcake needs sprinkles,
which creates a mess. "Cleaning up will make him hot, so you'll
give him a bathing suit and take him to the beach." At the beach,
he collects everything in sight. Because the load is heavy,
he decides to workout at the gym. Then it's on to the park,
a row across the lake, a ride on the merry-go-round whale, and
a visit to the science museum. Once home, he empties the sand
from his shoes, which reminds him of sprinkles. And it begins
again. For all children who enjoyed the popular series, this
silly and nonsense story will not disappoint them. |
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THERE WAS A WEE WOMAN . . .
written by Erica Silverman, illus. by Rosanne Litzinger, (Farrar,
Straus & Giroux, $16.95, ISBN 978-0-374-38253-7), 32p,
Ages 4-8.
"There was a wee woman who lived in a shoe/with her many wee
children (their tiny pets too)./Six crammed in a bed, tangled
up in a heap./Some wrangled, some dangled. Jack groaned, 'I
can't sleep.'" A tiny mother, her redheaded children, and their
menagerie of animals search for a new home. They trek over the
clothesline, through the garden, past a huge snake, a snarling
rat, and across a creek. They try out a birdhouse (not balanced
enough), a cradle (motion sickness), and a garden pail. When
a giant (a little girl) picks up the pail and spies them, their
lives change for the better. Based on a famous nursery rhyme,
children will enjoy the wee family's new home-the giant's dollhouse.
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DUCK AND COVER
written/illus. by Jackie Urbanovic, (HarperCollins Children's
Books, $17.99, ISBN 978-0-06-121444-8), 40p, Ages
4-7.
Max and his friends from Duck at the Door and Duck Soup return
for a humorous tale of an escaped alligator that is wrongly
accused of eating another animal at the zoo. When Harold turns
up at Max's front door pleading for help, Irene's animals are
terrified of his size, color, and appetite. "Max was afraid
too, but he remembered what it was like to be in trouble and
alone. Now it was his turn to help someone else." They make
sure that Harold is well fed while trying to hide him from the
authorities. Nothing works, not even stuffing him into the breadbox,
disguising him as a lamp, camouflaging him as a couch, or dressing
everyone in alligator costumes. When the zoo detective arrives
and explains about the misunderstanding ("The dog we thought
Harold ate wasn't the girls' PET DOG. It was her HOT DOG."),
all is forgiven. Harold returns to the zoo, and the cats breathe
a sigh of relief. |
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NEVER TALK TO STRANGERS
written by Irma Joyce, illus. by George Buckett, (Golden Books,
$9.99, ISBN 978-0-375-84964-0), 32p, Ages 2-6.
First published in 1967, this classic book of wisdom is back
in print cautioning children, in an unthreatening way, about
talking to strangers. "If you are hanging from a trapeze/And
up sneaks a camel with bony knees./Remember this rule, if you
please-/Never talk to strangers." With humorous illustrations
and bouncy rhymes, children learn to be careful of a bony-kneed
camel, a suitcase-carrying rhinoceros, a dancing leopard, a
bassoon-playing bee, and more. Exceptions to these rules are
parents, teachers, and friends who know the strangers. With
a bit of humor, the Easter Bunny is also included. This clear
message on safety is always appropriate for another generation.
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CORDUROY - 40th Anniversary Edition
written/illus. by Don Freeman, (Viking Children's Books, $19.99,
ISBN 978-0-670-06336-9), 40p, Ages 3+.
Corduroy is a charming department store bear, who is unaware
that a button on his overalls is missing. The mother of a little
girl, who wishes to purchase him, brings this circumstance to
his attention. "I've spent too much already. Besides, he doesn't
look new. He's lost the button to one of his shoulder straps."
That night after the shoppers depart, Corduroy looks for his
missing button. Riding the escalator to the furniture department,
he spies mattresses with buttons on them. Before he can take
one, the night watchman spies him and Corduroy is returned to
his shelf. The next day the little girl returns with her piggy
bank to purchase him, and happily sews on a new button. In honor
of its 40th anniversary, endpapers contain replicas of Don Freeman's
correspondence with his editor, sketches of original drawings,
and newspaper clippings on Don Freeman's life and death in 1978.
This classic should be required for reading aloud to every child.
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