Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Field Beyond the Outfield - Ludlow


Ludlow's parents decide the cure to his overactive imagination is to sign up with a baseball team.  He plays in the outfield, the far outfield-- The Field Beyond the Outfield.  It's so far back that he discovers a baseball game played by giant bugs with monster spectators and discovers he's quite good at playing!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster - Sage


Sick with a cold Sage mishears one of Mrs. Pages vocabulary words: miscellaneous.  She spells and defines the words Miss Alaineus and is inspired to turn her mistake into a fun costume for the vocabulary parade.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Swine Divine

Swine Divine by Jan Carr is the story of a pig, Rosie, who's caretaker, Luke decides that she should be cleaned up and out of the mud.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Dahlia


Charlotte prefers playing in the mud to playing with dolls, but decides to give her new Dahlia from Aunt Edme a chance to prove she's a daredevil too.  When Aunt Edme comes to visit she is pleased to see that Dahlia has seen some mud, sun, and adventure just as Charlotte has.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Scarlett Angelina Wolveron-Manning


Ralph thinks he's kidnapping a regular spoiled rich girl when he takes Scarlett Angelina Wolverton-Manning, but he's about to find that there's more to her than meets the eye when the full moon rises!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Carolinda Clatter!


Carolinda is so loud that she wakes the sleeping giant.  Carolinda must put him back to sleep, but this is not as simple as it seems, because the giant is in love with the icy moon.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Speak Up, Blanche


Speak Up, Blanche! by Emily Arnold McCully is the story of a little lamb, Blanche who proves that just because she is shy, doesn't mean she can't make a contribution to the traveling bear family's stage act.  She has exceptional talents at stage design, and doesn't need to be like everyone else.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Blueberries for Sal


Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey is the classic story of a girl and a baby bear switching places while their mothers gather blueberries.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Bobby the Bold


Bobby is different.  He lives with the chimps, but is a bonobo from the Congo.  The chimps don't understand him and so Bobby decides to leave for an adventure of his own--by getting a haircut.  The chimps love his new hair and all want to be styled by Bobby the Bold!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

A Girl and Her Gator - Claire


I absolutely love this book about a girl named Claire, who wakes to discover a gator named, Pierre, living in her hair.  Silly, rhyming, and fun to read!

Friday, June 10, 2011

The Picture of Morty & Ray


The Picture of Morty & Ray by Daniel Pinkwater and Jack E. Davis is a fresh take on The Portrait of Dorian Gray.  After watching said movie, Morty & Ray decide to try out their own version of the magic portrait.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Here Comes the Train


Here Comes the Train by Charlotte Voake is the story of a family who loves to bike to the bridge and watch the train going swishing by.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Disappearing Desmond

Desmond is the master of blending into the background.  No one notices him at school and he likes it that way, until the new girl, Gloria, starts to say, "Hi" to him.  After a few days, Desmond feels comfortable enough to play and be seen at school.
Disappearing Desmond by Anna Alter

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Curious Garden - Liam


In a city lacking any vegetation, Liam begins a garden with just a little knowledge and a lot of heart.  His gardening is contagious and soon the city is filled with green in The Curious Garden by Peter Brown.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Melissa Parkington's Beautiful, Beautiful Hair

Melissa is known for her beautiful hair, but she decides she wants to be known for what she does, rather than just how she looks, in Melissa Parkington's Beautiful, Beautiful Hair by Pat Brisson.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Zack's Alligator



Bridget the alligator is so small when she arrives, that it's hard to believe she could ever do anything exciting.  That is until, Zack soaks her in the bathtub and she grows to be life-size in Zack's Alligator by Shirley Mozelle.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

The Tiniest Mermaid


Lily rescues an injured mermaid and takes her home to care for her.  They become friends and Delphi shows Lily the magical world of mermaids, until it is time for Delphi to return to the sea.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Greta's Revenge - Alice


Greta's Revenge by Steven J. Simmons is the followup story to Alice and Greta.  The two witches continue their dueling spells in this sequel.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Stanley's Party


One night, Stanley the dog decides to see what would happen if he sat on the couch while his people were out.  Nothing!  The next night, he listens to music, and the next he breaks into the fridge! After a while, Stanley decides to share his fun with just a few friends-- and it turns into a raucous party.  His  people spend two whole days cleaning the house and decide to never leave Stanley home alone.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Magda's Tortillas


Written in both Spanish and English, Magda's Tortillas by Becky Chavarria-Chairez follows Magda as she celebrates her 7th birthday by learning how to make tortillas from her Abuela.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Timmy and Tammy's Train of Thought

Timmy and Tammy's parents promise the two train enthusiast siblings a real train ride.  What a train ride it is!  They travel all over and on many different types of trains.

Monday, May 30, 2011

The Gardener - Lydia


The Gardener by Sarah Stewart is a Depression Era story of a little girl, Lydia Grace who is sent to live with her Uncle Jim, and finds that through her passion for gardening she can brighten even the grayest of worlds.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Mimi - Frank


Mimi by Carol Baiker-McKee, is a lovely little girl who spends her day going to the library and playing in the park, all while keeping in mind that her roly-poly bug, Frank is missing.  She does find him at the end of the day, when she feels a "monster" tickling her leg!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Josefina Javelina: A Hairy Tale


Josefina dreams of being a ballerina, so she heads to Pasadena to fulfill her dreams, but she isn't able to display her skills until her agent, White E. Lamb, turns out to be a R. Ben Coyote, who then chases her through the streets during a parade.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Edwardo: The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World


After being labeled clumsiest, cruelest, noisiest, messiest, dirtiest, nastiest, rudest, and roughest boy, he becomes: Edwardo: The Horriblest Boy in the Whole Wide World!  That is until, others start recognizing the all of his good qualities and he becomes the "Nicest Boy in the Whole Wide World"

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Theodore


Lucy's favorite bear, Theodore is accidentally picked up with the dirty laundry and cleaned, making him unrecognizable to her.  Luckily, through a series of dirty events, Theodore becomes nice and smudgy again!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Palazzo Inverso - Mauk


Mauk is not allowed to help with his master's drawings in Palazzo Inverso by D. B. Johnson, but when he wakes one morning and finds the world is somehow strange, it "turns" out he did indeed have a hand in making them.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Morris the Artist


Morris picks out a present for Benjamin, that he would like to keep himself.  At the party he cannot bear to part with it, but after the box grows so large it almost crushes him, Morris gives his present.  The other children are not impressed with the paint set, until Morris begins to create and paint.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

I'm Not Invited? - Minnie, Charles


Minnie is perplexed when she discovers she hasn't been invited to her friend, Charles' party.  In the end she discovers that she was wrong, and that it wasn't his party, but his sister's.  This book is also worth mentioning, because Minnie has a friend, Kathleen, and, well, that's my name!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Walter the Baker


Walter the Baker by Eric Carle is the story of a baker who is known for his delicious bread, until one day when his cat spills all the milk and he's forced to bake with water, instead.  The Duke orders Walter to make a bread that the sun can shine through three times, and Walter invents the pretzel.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Carlo and the Really Nice Librarian


Carlo, the giraffe, is intimidated by the librarian until he discover that she loves books as much as he does in Carlo and the Really Nice Librarian by Jessica Spanyol.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Sidney Won't Swim


The reason's why he can't possibly participate in swim class pile up in, Sidney Won't Swim by Hilde Schuurmans, until finally Sidney admits that he is just a tiny bit scared.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Princess Hyacinth: The Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated


Because she floats, Princess Hyacinth  must wear clothes weighted with jewels so that she doesn't fly far away.  Her only friend, Boy, visits her when he goes out to fly his kite.  One day Hyacinth is able to convince a balloon man to let her float on the end of the string.  A dog frightens him, and Hyacinth is sent soaring up into the sky, where she is rescued by Boy's kite.

Monday, May 16, 2011

The Popcorn Dragon - Dexter

Dexter the dragon ends up losing all of his friends after showing off and blowing smoke in their faces.  But he finds a way to show his friends he's sorry, and that he can use his talent for something fun!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Bella & Bean


While Bella & Bean may seem like mismatched friends, but their differences intertwine to help Bella write beautiful poetry.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The Puddle Pail - Ernst, Sol

Ernst and Sol, two crocodile brothers, walk to the beach and notice different things, illustrating that it's okay to be different in The Puddle Pail by Elisa Kleven.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Thursday, May 12, 2011

The Library Dragon - Molly

The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy is the story of a school librarian who has become a bit "scaly" and doesn't allow the children to borrow books, until a little girl Molly reads a book to the other children.  The dragon disappears and the librarian returns.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Do You Still Love Me? - Dudley

Do You Still Love Me? by Charlotte Middleton is the story of Dudley the dog who feels replaced when Anna gets a chameleon as a pet.  Dudley finds that Anna has room in her heart for two animal friends.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Violet Comes to Stay


Violet is the last kitten to be adopted from her litter.  At the nursery she is too hunt mice, but she fails to remember her mother's advice about hunting and is given away to the owner of a bakery.  She fails again and is sent back to her mother.  Finally she finds her place with the owner of a bookstore.

Monday, May 9, 2011

I Love You All Day Long - Owen

Owen is worried about being apart from his mother when he is at school all day long.  She reassures him, by going over daily situations and telling him, "I Love You All Day Long."

Saturday, May 7, 2011

The Bake Shop Ghost - Cora Lee


Cora Lee Merriweather ran the best bake shop.  After she died, she decided to stick around and scare off all the new owners.  When Annie buys the shop, she refuses to be scared off by Cora Lee.  Cora Lee challenges Annie to bake a cake that is "so rich and so sweet, it will fill me up and bring tears to my eyes" and she does.  The Bake Shop Ghost by Jacqueline K. Ogburn

Friday, May 6, 2011

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Winnie the Witch

Winnie the Witch's house and everything in it is black, which makes seeing her black cat, Wilbur, difficult.  So she changes him into a green cat and after much calamity, she changes him back and decides to change the color of her house and furnishings instead.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Such a Prince - Vera, Marvin


Such a Prince by Dan Bar-el is a humorous retelling of the fairytale, "The Three Peaches".  Great for older readers!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

The Peanut-Free Cafe - Simon, Grant

Like everyone else at Nutley School, Simon loves peanut butter.  When a new boy, Grant, starts school and the kids learn he's allergic to peanuts, they decide to make a part of the cafeteria peanut free.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Toby, Who Are You?

In Toby, Who Are You? by William Steig, Toby and his parents go on a picnic and they pretend to be a variety of different animals.