"A Blizzard Year" -Gretel Ehrlich

This is a story about a ranching family. It begins in February and goes through the year telling what gets done on an annual basis and what is especially different or difficult this year. It's a simple enough tale told from the point-of-view of the daughter.

Although it's a modern setting (for 1999), it still reads like a tale of yesteryear.

Read Also:

Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Even Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery has a similar vibe.

"Red Wagon" -Renata Liwska

Lucy the fox has a new wagon and her mom wants her to go to the market for her. That's no fun! But lucy goes, and with her other forest friends, they play pretend all the way to and from the market.

Read Also:

Dr. Seuss' And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street.

Nicholas Oldham's Making the Moose Out of Life.

"The Physics of Star Trek" -Lawrence M. Krauss

I never took a physics class in high school or college. But I'm not totally unaware of things like "every action has an opposite and equal reaction." So I took up this book and while I am rereading many passages because I don't quite get them the first time through, it's making a lot of sense...and poking a lot of holes in Star Trek!

Read Also:

Serenity Found is a compilation of essays about Joss Whedon's "Firefly." Very interesting!

"Thanksgiving Mice!" -Bethany Roberts

In honor of the season...

The mice put on a play of the first Thanksgiving and then feast afterwards with all the woodland creatures.

Read Also:

Thea Feldman's Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse: Tucker's Beetle Band is a reader book similar to A Cricket in Times Square by George Seldon.

Emily Bearn's Tumtum & Nutmeg series are about 2 mice and their lives, cover a couple of holidays.

"Beating the Lunch Box Blues" -J.M. Hirsch

I'm always looking for easier ways to do lunch. This book advocates cook extra for dinner and turn it into 2 lunches. And Jane has the "cook extra" down pat.

Read Also:

Nick Fauchald's series of cookbooks, among them Walk-Around Tacos and other likeable lunches.

"Hot Rod Hamster" -Cynthia Lord

Hamster needs a hot rod to join in the race and "burn rubber". With some help from the junkyard dog and his rats, they build him a car to win!

Told in verse, some interactive moments, and the cutest hamster, this is a fun story of a hamster's dream to win the big race.

Read Also:

Geronimo Stilton is a great series of a mouse and all his adventures.

Cynthia Rylant's Little Whistle.

"Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" -Chris Grabenstein

Stuck in a library over night. The goal is to get out. The prize is fame.

Kyle loves board games. When the new library is finished being built, he along with 11 other 12-year olds are chosen to experience the library first. It turns out to be one giant game as each kid tries to solve the puzzle and "escape".

I really enjoy books that have puzzles and riddles in them. I'm not very good at them but the creativity boggles my mind.

Read Also:

Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms by Lissa Evans is about a boy and his friends puzzle solving as they follow the clues to some old-fashioned magician's equipment.

The Mysterious Benedict Society series by Trenton Lee Stewart is about 4 friends traveling around the world solving puzzles and saving the world from an evil mastermind.

Ellen Raskin's The Westing Game.

"All the Water in the World" -George Ella Lyon

The illustrations are really fun and beautiful. Also gives a nice overview of the water cycle.

Read Also:

Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle's books have similar illustrations; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? and The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

"Logo Life" -Ron van der Vlugt

We recognize them, but do we know why they look like that? This was an interesting book about how logos morphed during their history and what influenced the changes. I was surprised by which logos they chose (a lot of foreign ones!)

Fun Fact: each letter of the title is from a different logo. l=Lego, o=Mobil, g=Google, o=Microsoft, l=Volvo, i=IBM, f=Ford, and e=Pepsi ... nailed it!

Read Also:

The Geometry of Pasta by Caz Hildebrand is a fascinating history of pastas and their shapes. Includes a few recipes.

An older book, Mistakes that Worked by Charlotte Foltz Jones gives a quick overview of different inventions' beginnings.

"Something to Do" -David Lucas

Baby bear wants something to do so after waking up papa bear, they have a little adventure of their own making. Cute, whimsical, creative...

Read Also:

The classic Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson

Peter Reynolds' Sky Color

"The Butler" -Wil Haygood

I usually refuse to read "popular" material but I want to see the movie. And instead of waiting until after to read the book, I decided to read it before. At least, that's what I thought I was reading...

The Butler: a witness to history by Wil Haygood is not a biography of Eugene Allen, butler to 8 presidents. It is a history of how the movie came to be from interviewing Allen to movie fundraising.

Haygood interviewed Eugene Allen and wrote an article "A Butler Well Served by this Election" in the Washington Post (which I think I will read now). All well and good, but this book does not contain the article, at least it did not indicate whether it was the article or not.

The whole book felt like Haygood wanted to get us excited about the story without spoiling the movie.

Read Also:

Catherine Marshall's biography of her husband Peter Marshall, pastor to the U.S. Senate, A Man Called Peter.

"Penguin and Pinecone" -Salina Yoon

As usual, I picked this book for the illustrations: thick bold lines, subtle winter colors, cu-uute penguins!

Penguin finds a pinecone and befriends it. They do all kinds of winter sports together but the pinecone can't handle the cold. Penguin takes it to a warmer place and leaves a scarf. The pinecone grows to a tree and drops more pinecones, which become friends with other penguins.

Read Also:

Jan Thomas' books are similar in illustrations, thick lines, solid colors.

From the same authors as Curious George, Margaret & H.A. Rey's Whiteblack the Penguin sees the World has more penguins!

"Wild Magic" -Tamora Pierce

I am not a big fantasy reader. I almost didn't read this book. But for various reasons, mostly because it's a quick read, I did...and I am glad for it.

Wild Magic is book 1 in the series "The Immortals" by Tamora Pierce and it was good! Daine has the gift of speaking to and understanding animals. While she travels, this skill helps her and her companions (friends, soldiers, sorcerer, & king) avoid danger and death. When foreign kingdoms attack, Daine helps protect her kingdom and discovers her place in the world.

Pierce uses good imagery and exciting battle sequences to tell her story. Daine is a good character who grows throughout the story but suffers her share of fear and failure, which only helps the story's depth.

Read Also:

(I've been waiting to tout this series) Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan sci/fi series is about a Europe with animals playing a much bigger role.

Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain fantasy series

"Dusk" -Uri Shulevitz

Dusk is my favorite time of the day, I've read Shulevitz before, and the cover was attention-grabbing...

A boy, his grandfather and his dog walk through the city of New York as dusk sets in during a winter evening. The sounds of the city, the people, the buildings all contribute to a cold and glowing stroll.

Gorgeous illustrations really give the feel of light glancing off the snow and the cold setting in. I remember evenings like this and love the memory!

Read Also:

Sarah Thompson does an "Imagine a ..." series which includes Imagine a Night.

Ari Berk's Nightsong.

"The Wright Brothers" -Mike Venezia

Let me just say that I read this because Mike Venezia writes great biographies! They are full of comics, irony, and facetiousness. There are tons of books in his portfolio.

Follow the journey of the Wright brothers from the early years of taking their toys apart to their early bicycle shop to flying over France, complete with talking seagulls.

Read Also:

The Who Was... is a great biography series. Sketches, big font, lots of information.

The author, Demi, writes great biographical picture books about Gandhi, Columbus, Joan of Arc, and lots more. Beautiful artwork, poignant bios.

Blockhead: the life of Fibonacci by Joseph d'Agnese is a picture book bio about the mathematician; didn't even know who he was.

"Fuddles" -Frans Vischer

Kitties!!

Fuddles is a *ahem* fat cat living in the lap of luxury. He decides he needs to be more "wild" and goes on an adventure only to get lost.

Fuddles is such a cute, fat cat! The artwork is fun. What I can't understand is where Fuddles homing instinct is when he gets lost. Follow the food!

Read Also:

Sadly, my first thought was of Bustopher Jones from Cats.

Rob Scotton's Splat books are a lot of fun and come with Seymour! (his mouse)

"Lunch Lady and the Video Game Villain" -Jarrett Krosoczka

So there I was, having to read a graphic novel appropriate for ages 5-8 years. I went to the 741.5s (Dewey for cartoons, comics, etc.), did a little browsing, saw this bright yellow spine, flipped through the pages and didn't gag...Voila!

The Lunch Lady and her assistant, Betty, serve lunch "and justice" to Thompson Brook Middle School. They keep an eye on any nefarious substitute teachers, crazy mathletes, or evil librarians(!). Video Game Villain is 9th in the series with the IT guy stealing technology and building an electronic monster to take over the school. The reader follows 3 students who have troubles of their own.

They are well done with all their gadgets (lunch tray laptop, spork communicator), the artwork is fun, the dialog is age appropriate. I make sure to read all of the series.

Read Also:

Frazz, a comic book by Jef Mattlett, takes place at an elementary school with the coolest janitor ever!

The Knights of the Lunch Table by Frank Cammuso is an Arthurian themed graphic novel trilogy about 3 outcast middle schoolers.

"In the Tree House" -Andrew Larsen

I judge books by their covers, I openly admit it. In the Tree House is not a book I would pick up for the bland title or hem-haw artwork. However, the cover caught my attention and the story taught a wonderful lesson about community and sibling friendship.

A boy and his brother move into a new house and they build a tree house. As the brother hangs out with his friends, the boy entertains himself. When the power goes out, the brother returns to the tree house to rediscover the fun he had hanging out with his brother.

Read Also:

Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown, a tale of 2 brothers who become friends again after a change in their lives.

"Following Grandfather" -Rosemary Wells

This was a sweet tale of a grandfather teaching his granddaughter about life. It gives the grandfather's background and coming to New York.

The touching part is when the grandfather dies and the granddaughter must continue on. She sees her grandfather in other old men, relives some memories, but at the end, finds the one "treasure" which gives her peace: a rare seashell he told her about.

Read Also:

House of Dolls by Francesca Lia Block is not a light read although it is a children's book. But it is a good book dealing with depression, feelings of abandonment and death.

I was very impressed with the movie "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" for how it deals with hope, faith, joy, and death. Very mature, yet very sensitive, it's sweet viewing.

"World War I Memorial" -Maureen Picard Robins

"In honor of those who served in the world war in defense of liberty and our country."

That is the inscription on the Liberty tower of the memorial. I didn't know the WWI memorial is in Kansas City, Missouri, nor how big it is. I always find the elements of memorials and their specific meanings interesting and heart-felt. For instance, memorial faces east, toward Flanders Field and other WWI locations. It is also 11 degrees off North in honor of armistice: November 11, 1918 @ 11 am.

Happy Remembrance Day...Lest we forget.

Read Also:

Norman Jorgenson's In Flanders Field, a book of the poem.

Fly, Cher Ami, Fly by Robert Burleigh about the pigeon that saved a battalion.

Margaret Rotkowski's After the Dancing Days, a novel about a soldier recovering from the gas attacks.

"Common Sense" -Thomas Paine

"...a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right..." and thus begins Thomas Paine's essay entitled Common Sense.

I haven't always wanted to read this but I'm glad I did. Paine discusses many problems with a monarchy as he voices his arguments for America to leave Britain. He also maps out how often a people slowly come to accept a government for what it is rather than what it should be.

I found Paine to be eloquent and succinct. He believes a society works best when people are highly moral and govern themselves; I believe in that, although I see why such a society is impossible to purposefully form or maintain. However, he has the right idea for how involved a people should be with the people they allow to govern them. Some of my favorite quotes from the book were:

"…leave the legislative part to be managed by a select number chosen from the whole body, who are supposed to have the same concerns at stake which those have who appointed them, and who will act in the same manner as the whole body would act were they present." (p.7, para 3)

"Common sense will tell us, that the power which hath endeavoured to subdue us, is of all others the most improper to defend us." (p.51, para 3)

"[Despotic] governments consider man merely as an animal; that the exercise of intellectual faculty is not his privilege; that he has nothing to do with the laws but to obey them." (p.101, para 4)

Warning! Paine does include some math on how much a navy would cost for America and how much it does cost for Britain, with diagramed statistics.

Read Also:

Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay Self-Reliance talks of thinking for oneself instead of following the mob.

Jean Fritz's Shh! We're Writing the Constitution is a quick but interesting look at the forming of the Constitution.

"The Chickens Build a Wall" -Jean-Francois Dumont

Apart from crossing the road, why would chickens build a wall?

Turns out there's a hedgehog on the farm and no one knows what to do. In the spirit of fowl, the chickens panic and proceed to construct a fortress.

Read Also:

E.B. White's Charlotte's Web: farm animals who handle things in their own way.

Or a more adult look: George Orwell's Animal Farm with animals handling their own situation, such as fear.

"C is for Cowboy" -Eugene Gagliano

C is for Cowboy: a Wyoming alphabet is from a series of alphabet books about the states, holidays, and many other topics.

I read this book because I've been to some of these places now! Devil's Tower, Cody, Bighorn Mountains, but though I was promised a grizzly bear, I didn't see one.

Read Also:

Among others, Matt Weber's San Francisco: the alphabet book was fun.

Ann Heinrich's series "Welcome to the U.S.A." makes learning about the states entertaining.

"Why is the Snow White?" -Heinz Janisch

It sounded like a beautiful book (and had the "new book" smell) so I picked it up...

A father tells his daughter a fairy tale: Father Snow travels around to each plant and flower looking for something to donate it's colors to the snow. Each refuses until what becomes the snow drop, volunteers its white colors.

The art work has nature in painted colors and Father Snow as a jolly sketch amongst gorgeous, detailed flowers.

Read Also:

Betty Ann Schwartz's What Makes a Rainbow? chronicles the colors in nature.

Elsbeth Claus' "autobiography" Mrs Claus Explains It All tells of why Christmas is like it is.

"On the Map" -Simon Garfield

I love maps. A lot! They're what I collect when I travel; if I have a map of every place I went, it's almost better than a picture. I don't collect valuable maps, just the brochures that come free and have fun pictures on them.

In On the Map: a mind-expanding exploration of the way the world looks, Simon Garfield discusses the different maps from antique to collectors to board games (Risk! was a fascinating section!) and their place in society. Really cool!

Read Also:

I don't read a lot of books about geography, but I have quite a few atlases. Some different ones are Sherlock Holmes's London, Atlas of the Celtic World, The Ancient World, all good.

Matthew Battles Library: an unquiet history discusses the progression of libraries and books much as Garfield's book follows the changes in maps.

"Splat and the Cool School Trip" -Rob Scotton

Splat is awesome! Let me just lead with that. He's funny, fun, literally wide-eyed, and quite a darling. His mouse, Seymour, is just as awesome.

Splat's class is going to the zoo and he is looking forward to the penguins. Seymour too, except he's not allowed to go. But that doesn't stop Seymour from stowing away, showing up in style, scaring the elephant, causing chaos, and proving what a good friend he is to Splat.

Read Also:

Judy Schachner's Skippyjon Jones books follow an adventurous cat, who thinks he's a dog, through is imagined trips in his closet.

I've never read the Pete the Cat series by James Dean by Pete looks like he is just too cool for everything!

"Twelve Kinds of Ice" -Ellen Bryan Obed

Almost poetry, slightly biographical, Twelve Kinds of Ice presents winter in what may be the best possible light without referencing Christmas. Each ice is described in composition and uses.

Obed is so joyful and detailed in her text that the reader can feel, yet not despise, the biting cold. And still a hint of longing for the next winter.

Read Also:

Douglas Florian's Winter eyes, one of a set of seasonal poetry books.

Charlotte Otten's January Rides the Wind is another book of poems about the months and what a child looks forward to in each.

I've only just discovered Tasha Tudor! Her picture book Around the Year covers the joys of each month.

"Warning: Do Not Open This Book" -Adam Lehrhaupt

Any book that refers to itself is a MUST!

So what happens? First there's the... And then the... Followed by the ...! And then I had to shut the book to prevent them from all getting away! But that's what happens when you disregard a title like that.

Read Also:

Mo Willems' We're in a Book! really brings the act of reading to the forefront with Pig and Elephant. Funny!

Lane Smith's It's a Book shows the difference between a book and technology in a humorous banter of comparisons. Hilarious!

(I've read a lot of these) Michaela Muntean's Do Not Open This Book! has the reader interrupting Pig as he tries to write the book. Too good!

"Ivy + Bean" -Annie Barrows

Ivy + Bean was recommended to me by a library patron. Ivy, a clean, well-behaved, new girl and Bean, a tom-boy, become friends when they collaborate on casting a spell on Bean's older sister.

Not always a fan of the causing trouble merely because sisters misunderstand each other, but there is some depth to Ivy and Bean's characters. There's also some compassion and forgiveness which makes it a much better read.

Read Also:

Beverly Cleary's "Ramona" books with the annoying older sister and the creative mishaps.

Lissa Evans' Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms is about a new boy in town who teams up with some triplets to brighten up a dull summer.

What Happened on Fox Street by Mo Wren.

"Tiberius and the Friendly Dragon" -Keith Harvey

The cutest wittle mouse ever!

Tiberius is on his way to the village when he comes upon the town meeting where they're discussing how to get rid of the scary red monster. In a "brave little tailor" gesture, Tiberius agrees to investigate.

Read Also:

Disney's cartoon, "The Reluctant Dragon" is about a dragon who writes poetry and is woeful over others being scared of him.

Oliver Chin's The Year of the Dragon has all the animals of the Chinese zodiac working together.