Lila and Hadley

Lila and Hadley by Kody Keplinger. Grades 4-7. Scholastic, 2020. 256 pages. Review copy provided by publisher. 

This summer is not at all like Hadley hoped it would be. Instead of hanging out with her friends, she's moving to a new town in a new state to live with her sister after their mother goes to prison. To make matters worse, her pigmentosa retinitis is finally bad enough that her sister wants her to take mobility classes and learn how to navigate the world as if she has no sight at all. Hadley resists the classes just like she's resisted the move. 

And when Hadley meets Lila, a surly shelter dog who needs training before she can be adopted, Hadley resists Lila, too. Hadley's not a dog person. But for whatever reason, Hadley is the one person Lila seems to respond to. So Hadley takes on the challenge of working with Lila, getting her ready to be adopted. But when that day comes, it won't be easy. 

Dog lovers will eat up this wonderful own-voices story about a girl learning to love a dog she never thought she could and learning about herself along the way. Hadley's relationship with Lila grows stronger and stronger and seeing Lila take on the challenge of training helps Hadley feel better about taking on her own mobility training. Author Kody Keplinger is blind, so the details about Hadley learning to move around the town using a cane and handling her progressive blindness are authentic. 

I love a first person story written with a strong voice and this book is definitely one of those. Hadley's tough exterior and her Southern cadence leap off the page. This is one of those books that feel like the protagonist is sitting down with you and telling you their story. 

Hand this one to fans of Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, Just Like Jackie by Lindsey Stoddard, or Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. 

Smug Seagull

Smug Seagull by Maddie Frost. Ages 4-8. Little, Brown, 2020. 40 pages. Review copy provided by my local library. 

Seagull is an expert at swiping snacks on sunny days at the beach. He's the best - no one can beat him! Until a little crab shows up with a delectable french fry and, try as he might, the Smug Seagull is outsmarted at every turn. This delightful, laugh-out-loud picture book would make a really fun read for young beachgoers. The bright, cartoony illustrations make this a sure bet with young readers and they will delight in Seagull's mischievous escapades as he swipes all kinds of food from beachgoers young and old. 

Seagull gives me some serious Pigeon vibes. He's a bird that oozes personality and confidence, delighting in the fact that his "name is in lights" (there's a sign posted asking beachgoers not to feed the seagulls). I think young Mo Willems fans are really going to like meeting Seagull, too. And any family who's visited the beach can probably relate to swarms of seagulls hoping to sneak away with some of the picnic. 

Hand Smug Seagull to families about to head out on vacation or anyone who just needs a bit of a laugh. Although it's tailor-made for a beach or vacation themed display, kids love to giggle anytime. 

Dozens of Doughnuts

Dozens of Doughnuts by Carrie Fenison, illustrated by Brianne Farley. Ages 3-7. Putnam, 2020. 40 pages. Review copy provided by my local library. 

LouAnn the bear is getting ready for winter, which for her means she's baking dozens of doughnuts which she will eat herself to get ready to hibernate. She's just about to sit down to some fresh doughnuts when her doorbell rings and it's a friendly neighbor who has smelled the delicious treats. LouAnn kindly shares her doughnuts and heads back to the kitchen to whip up some more. But when neighbor after neighbor shows up looking to share in the feast, LouAnn has finally had enough! Luckily, her neighbors realize that they've eaten up all her doughnuts and come back to repay her kindness with treats of their own. 

This is a super cute, playful story about sharing that feels mildly seasonal since it's a little bit about hibernation, but it could definitely be read any time of year. The rhyming text begs to be read aloud and this would make an excellent storytime book. It has a recurring chorus each time LouAnn's about to get to eat some of the doughnuts, in which LouAnn gets interrupted by the doorbell before it can get to her name in the rhyme: 

One dozen doughnuts, hot from the pan. 

Toasty, and tasty, and ALL for - 

Ding dong!

The interruption adds humor to the story and you could really play that up in the readaloud. 

Pair this fun animal story with Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson for another bouncy, rhyming picture book about forest creatures having a feast and leaving hibernating a bear out or Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora for another tale about neighbors following their nose and popping in to share in a delicious meal. 

Clever Hans: The True Story of the Counting, Adding, and Time-Telling Horse

Clever Hans: The True Story of the Counting, Adding, and Time-Telling Horse by Kerri Kokias, illustrated by Mike Lowery. Grades 2-5. 32 pages. Putnam, 2020. Review copy provided by my local library. 

Clever Hans was a horse who could do math problems, tell time, read, spell, and more... or could he? Even after seeing the horse answering questions, some people thought it was somehow a hoax, but it took a scientist and a study to figure out how. It turns out that Clever Hans really WAS clever, but not in the way that most people thought. 

I loved, loved, loved this nonfiction picture book, which is reminiscent of one of my favorite picture book authors, Meghan McCarthy. It's an interesting and little known topic - I remember learning about Clever Hans in my college psychology classes, but chances are he'll be new to kids. The narrative is written with a good dose of humor in a conversational tone. The cartoony illustrations add to the humor and appeal of this book. I appreciated the author's note that explained why Clever Hans is important to modern research and I loved that the book emphasizes the ways that Hans really was clever, even if not in exactly the ways that people originally thought. This is a great book about the scientific process and a fun animal story in one. A winner.

Eat Your Rocks, Croc

Eat Your Rocks, Croc!: Dr. Glider's Advice for Troubled Animals by Jess Keating, illustrated by Pete Oswald. Grades PreK - 3rd. 40 pages. Orchard Books, 2020. Review copy provided by my local library. 

What's a platypus to do when a family of humans keeps trying to catch him and he's feeling extremely helpless? Go to Dr. Glider for advice! Dr. Glider reassures Patrick Platypus that platypuses are anything but helpless - they're one of few venomous mammals in the world! How about when Sebastian Nurse Shark can't shake the small fish that are stuck to his belly? Dr. Glider explains that they are remoras who will help keep him clean.


Each spread in this adorable science picture book addresses another animal "problem" with Dr. Glider providing interesting animal facts to advise and reassure his animal patients. This is a really cute way to present animal facts and this book is a sure hit with kids who like shows like The Wild Kratts. It's a picture book that will suit a wide range of ages. Preschoolers will enjoy the animal characters and learning animal facts, which elementary school kids will be able to read it on their own. This would be a really fun gift for the young animal lovers in your life. 

Bodega Cat

Bodega Cat by Louie Chin. Grades 1-5. Pow! Kids Books. Review copy provided by my local library. 

Chip is the cat who runs his family's bodega (neighborhood grocery store). From helping with the breakfast rush to counting inventory, to making deliveries, Chip keeps things running pretty smoothly. He knows the best spots for napping, he plays with the neighborhood kids after school, and life is pretty sweet for this bodega cat. 

This delightful, colorful picture book oozes personality and will enchant young animal lovers, whether they live in the city or the country. For kids in New York or large cities, this book is an ode to their way of life. For kids in the rest of the country, this is a peek into city life. No matter where they live, cat-lovers will fall in love with Chip who takes absolute credit for the success of his family's bodega. 

This one's a bit long for storytime, but I think elementary school kids will really enjoy it. Try it on fans of Detective Larue: Letters from the Investigation by Mark Teague or Bink the Space Cat by Ashley Spires. 

12 Days of Giving: Books for Animal Lovers

Kids looooove animals. If you're not sure what to buy for a young child, an animal book is a pretty darn safe bet. Lots of older kids love learning about and reading about animals, too. So today, I'm giving you suggestions for the animal lovers in your life.

For babies and toddlers:

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell (Little Simon). When a child writes to the zoo to please send a pet, all kinds of different animals show up in the mail. Are any of them good for pets? This lift the flap board book is fun because it has humor and interaction built right in.

Fifteen Animals by Sandra Boynton (Workman, 2008). Sandra Boynton is a master for young children, of course, and this one is one of my favorites. A little boy names all his pets... they're all named Bob... except for a surprise turtle at the end. This sturdy board book is a great choice to all to a young child's Boynton collection.

From Head to Toe by Eric Carle (Harper, 1997). Available in either board book format or paperback, this book by beloved author Eric Carle is a good choice for young kids since every spread pairs an action with an animal.

Heads by Matthew Van Fleet (Simon & Schuster, 2010). This was one of the first books I gave my formerly youngest niece when I first started dating my husband. She was two at the time and got great joy out of pulling the tabs and making the animals in the book move. It's a sturdy board book with different textures to feel and tabs to make parts of the book move, going through all different kinds of animals.

For preschoolers and early elementary: 

Animals Should Definitely Not Wear Clothing by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett (Atheneum, 1970). Oh the giggles with this one! It turns out there are all kinds of reasons that animals should NOT wear clothing. A snake would lose it, a goat would eat it, it would always be wet on a walrus. The hilarious pictures depicting wacky scenarios of animals wearing clothes will definitely have kids laughing. And bonus, there are several other picture books about animals from this team, so bundle up a few of the paperbacks and you have a nice gift.

Bark George by Jules Feiffer (HarperCollins, 1999). Okay, this book is not everyone's cup of tea, but I happen to love it. When young George starts saying other animal noises instead of barking, his mother takes him to the vet who puts on his latex gloves and pulls out... a cat! And so on. I have had major storytime success with this one with ages 2 to about 7, so I think it's definitely a crowd-pleaser. It's a good bet for kids who like funny books that are a little offbeat. 

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry (Dial, 2007). This giant squid certainly likes to brag about being the biggest thing in the ocean... but is he? If you have young marine biologists who teethed on Baby Shark and are still fascinated by ocean animals, this funny book with large colorful pictures is a great choice. 

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin Stead (Roaring Brook, 2010). This Caldecott Medal winning picture book is a sweet story about zookeeper Amos McGee who stays home from work with a cold. Worried about him, his animal friends come to see him and cheer him up while he is sick. 

Slickety Quick: Poems About Sharks by Skila Brown, illustrated by Bob Kolar (Candlewick, 2016). This collection of poems features all different kinds of poems about all different kinds of sharks. This is another one that's perfect for your young marine biologists and sharks are always a hit. 

Chapter book readers:

Bad Kitty Gets a Bath by Nick Bruel (Roaring Brook, 2008). This highly illustrated early chapter book series is seriously funny and super popular. Scoop up a handful of them and bundle together for a nice gift. 

A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Walden Pond Press, 2017). Bixby Alexander Tam (nicknamed Bat) has some trouble making friends, but he has always related to animals. When his vet mom brings home a baby skunk that's been abandoned, Bat falls in love and yearns to help take care of the skunk. He is super hoping that his mom will let them keep it, even though he knows that skunks are wild animals. Bat loves animals so, so much and young animal lovers, especially those who have longed for a pet, will relate. Bonus for gift giving: there are two more books about Bat. Bundle them up for your big book lovers. 

The Great Pet Escape by Victoria Jamieson (Henry Holt, 2016). This super cute and funny graphic novel features a trio of class pets determined to break out of school and regain their freedom... until the 4th and 5th grade pets come up with a dastardly plan to prank the students. There are tons of cute and funny details in the pictures that kids will enjoy looking for. This is an early chapter book graphic novel, perfect for the younger elementary set, though older kids may well enjoy it as a quick read.

The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney (Puffin, 2004). This is a really sweet, cute, funny story narrated by a hamster who lives in a classroom and loves to help take care of the humans there. Humphrey has a lot of heart and a great voice. This is a great choice for anyone who loves animals or has ever wanted a pet. And it's also a series, so feel free to pick up a couple of them for the animal lover in your life. 

Middle grade readers:

Animals Welcome: A Life of Reading, Writing, and Rescue by Peg Kehret (Dutton, 2012). Author Peg Kehret loves animals. I mean she loooves them! Enough that she and her husband built a cabin in the woods to be surrounded by nature and after her husband passed away, Peg turned his workshop into a "cat room" as she fostered abandoned animals. This true story will appeal to kids whose dream is to live surrounded by animals. 

Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord (Scholastic, 2019). Formerly homeschooled Emma is nervous and excited to start fifth grade at public school, but making friends and learning the school rules is harder than she thought. Each day, Emma longs to get home to the newest addition to her family: a pet rabbit that she and her game warden dad rescued and that Emma has named Monsieur Lapin in honor of the forest stories her Pepere used to tell her. Emma wants to keep Lapi, but what if he has an owner? This is a story with a lot of heart and it's perfect for young pet owners or kids who wish they could be pet owners. 

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (Yearling, 2002). When Roy moves to Florida, he's not exactly thrilled about it, especially when he has to face bullies at his new school. But when he spots a boy running alongside the road, he senses a mystery, and when he investigates he finds himself caught up in an eco adventure he never could have imagined. This is a great choice for kids who like mystery stories and kids who are interested in saving the environment. 

Tiger Boy by Mitali Perkins (Charlesbridge, 2015). Neel loves his home in an island village in India. He loves his mother’s cooking. He loves swimming in the nearby ponds. And he loves the tigers that live on the preserve on a neighboring island, the only place where wild Bengal tigers still live. So when a tiger cub turns up missing, Neel wants to help. And he'll do anything to get out of studying for his school exams - he's not even sure he wants to go away to school far from his family. This is an adventure-filled story that's great for kids who love wild animals and who look for ways to care for animals and the environment.

#MiddleGradeMay: Because of the Rabbit

Because of the Rabbit by Cynthia Lord. Grades 3-5. Scholastic, 2019. 192 pages. Reviewed from galley provided by publisher.  

Booktalk:

Fifth grader Emma (formerly homeschooled) is starting public school for the first time and Scared and Excited are in a race to see which will win out. Emma's number one goal in fifth grade is to make a best friend; she's been lonely in homeschool since her older brother decided to start public school, and she figures she'll find one the very first day.

But it's not as easy as she thought it would be. There are a lot of weird rules in public school, it takes way too long to get through each day (at home she was usually done with her lessons by lunchtime), and most of the kids seem to already have established friend groups. Each day, Emma longs to get home to the newest addition to her family: a pet rabbit that she and her game warden dad rescued and that Emma has named Monsieur Lapin in honor of the forest stories her Pepere used to tell her.

It turns out that Lapi might just be the key to making a new friend, but not the first friend Emma would have chosen. Jack, a kid who sits in her desk cluster and who has special needs, LOVES animals. Emma has a list of things she's looking for in a best friend: likes the things she likes, always chooses her side, accepts her for herself... and Jack ticks a lot of those boxes. But, while the other kids in class are mostly kind to Jack, no one hangs out with him outside of school. If Emma befriends Jack is she branding herself a weirdo? Can she find the strength to navigate school and stay true to herself?

My thoughts: 

This is the sweet, realistic story that we've come to expect from Cynthia Lord. Emma is a likeable character who is easy to root for, even when she's sometimes making questionable choices. I loved the strong sense of setting, a small community in the mountains of Maine and Emma's house on the lake and all the nature all around them.

And even though this is a gentle story, it packs a bit of a punch, as well. I found myself getting emotional towards the end as Emma tackles something that is really hard for her to do, even though it's the right thing to do. The characters really felt real to me and that makes sense since a lot of this story was inspired by elements of the author's life - she has an adult son with autism, her children were homeschooled and her daughter went from that to public school, and they even keep rabbits.

Readalikes:

Young animal lovers will eat this book with a spoon. Hand it to readers who enjoyed A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold (Walden Pond, 2017), which also features a neurodiverse character obsessed with animals.

Readers who enjoyed the adventures of a former homeschooler starting middle school in graphic novel All's Fair in Middle School by Victoria Jamieson (Dial, 2017) will also be interested in Emma's journey.

And readers who like school stories about unlikely friends like Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan (Scholastic, 2016) will love reading about Emma's quest to make a friend.

The Great Monkey Rescue

The Great Monkey Rescue: Saving the Golden Lion Tamarins by Sandra Markle. Grades 3-5. Millbrook Press, October 2015. 40 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

Book Talk:

Okay, so first of all, how cute is this monkey?


This beautiful monkey is a golden lion tamarin and it’s sad to say that it’s an endangered species. Due to deforestation - the cutting down of trees in the tamarin’s home in Brazil - this species was in danger of becoming extinct.

This nonfiction book tells the true story of the scientists who helped bring the golden lion tamarins back from the edge of extinction. And they did it by building a tree highway to help the tamarins reach protected habitats.

You see, for the tamarins to survive in the wild, they need a large territory so they can find enough food during the dry seasons. The forests in which the tamarins can live are now separated by large pieces of land that have been cleared so cattle can graze there. The tamarins would not cross the open land to get to the next piece of forest. Even birds would not fly over the cleared area to travel from one forest area from another.

So scientists came up with the idea of making a special highway for the animals: a highway made of trees that connects the areas of the forest where tamarins can make their home.
To see how they did it and the other work scientists have done to save this cutest of monkeys, pick up The Great Monkey Rescue.

My thoughts: I have really loved Sandra Markle's science mystery titles (including The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs and others) and this one is also awesome. The books read a little bit like the Scientists in the Field series (which I also love) in that you accompany scientists attempting to help an endangered species and see what work and investigation goes into it. The reading levels are a little easier and the books are shorter while still including lovely full-color photographs. I think it's a little easier to find a readership for Sandra Markle's titles because of these formatting choices.

This particular title is so adorable that I knew I had to add it into my booktalking rotation and kids are going to be clamoring for it. I mean, look at that gorgeous monkey! How can you not want to know what's happening to him?

This book is a great one to suggest to teachers doing lessons about nonfiction text features since it incorporates photo captions, maps, and sidebars. Back matter includes an author's note, a timeline, a glossary, a list of further resources, and an index.

Readalikes: Don't miss Sandra Markle's other titles about animals in trouble:

• The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs
• The Case of the Vanishing Honeybees
• The Case of the Vanishing Little Brown Bats

Readers who are ready for more of a challenge may enjoy some of the Scientists in the Field books. Try one of my favorites, Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery. 

Tiger Boy

Tiger Boy by Mitali Perkins. Grades 4-6. Charlesbridge, April 2015. 144 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

Booktalk:

Neel loves his home in an island village in India. He loves his mother’s cooking. He loves swimming in the nearby ponds. And he loves the tigers that live on the preserve on a neighboring island, the only place where wild Bengal tigers still live.

When Neel and his friends learn that a tiger cub has escaped from the preserve and is thought to be on Neel’s island, they know that they have to look for her. It’s not often that tiger cubs are born in the preserve - every one is precious.

Neel’s teachers have nominated him for an important scholarship, a prize that could be his family’s ticket out of poverty, and Neel knows that he ought to be studying instead of patrolling the island for a lost tiger cub. But when Neel finds out that Gupta, a corrupt businessman, is also searching for the cub, Neel knows that he has to be the one to find her. If Gupta finds her, he will most likely sell her on the black market for her beautiful fur and Neel can’t - he WON’T - let that happen.

Can Neel find the lost tiger cub in time? If he joins the search for her, is he giving up his chance for a good future?

My Thoughts:

Okay, friends, I judged this one by its cover initially (the cover, to me, is not super appealing). But it kept getting great reviews from my friends on GoodReads and when I finally picked it up, I was so glad I did!

Lesson: do not doubt Mitali Perkins. 

This is an engaging story that will be a super hit with kids who love animals and/or adventure stories. Cultural details bring the Indian setting to life, detailed while still being accessible to kids who have no knowledge about India. The pacing is on-point; this is a short book that will hold the attention of its audience. There's plenty of tension as the reader wonders if Neel will find the tiger cub in time (and also, y'know, what Neel will do about his entire future, which rides on this scholarship). 

Neel's reluctance to leave his family home (and thus his reluctance to study for the scholarship exam) is believable. It shows that smart kids can be reluctant learners, too. Neel needs to find inspiration to continue his studies, he needs to be shown how attending a good school can enable him to do something he cares about. I found that transition to be believable, too. 

And, after all, who doesn't love a story in which a kid protects a baby tiger?!

Answer: no one. Everyone loves that. 

Readalikes: 

I would suggest this to kids in 4th-6th grade. I'm excited to have a shorter book I can bring to our middle schools for booktalks (I feel like every book I bring there is so LONG!).

Rickshaw Girl by Mitali Perkins - this book brings its Bangladeshi setting to life in much the same way as the Indian setting in Tiger Boy. 

Chasing Cheetahs by Sy Montgomery (and other books about animals) - Tiger Boy is a great pick for kids who love wild animals and want to learn more about them.

Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins - this book about endangered animals includes a passage that I kept thinking about while I read Tiger Boy, about why folks in India might hunt tigers even though they know they are endangered. This would be a good readalike for kids who enjoy exploring environmental themes.

The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Levy - okay, this is a little bit of a wild card, but i think that kids who enjoy reading about Neel's family in Tiger Boy and/or kids who identify with Neel's struggle to figure out his future might also find some of those elements in The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher. 

Preschool Lab: Bats

I don't know if you know this about me, but I love bats! I think they're awesome! And with Halloween coming up this week, what better time to explore bats in our Preschool Lab? Here's what we did.

Storytime:

Opening Song: My Hands Say Hello

Book: Bats in the Library by Brian Lies (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008). I shortened this one a bit since I tend to have a young, wiggly crowd. We talked about bats being nocturnal and pointed out funny things the bats were doing in the pictures. The text is rhythmic and rhyming. Hearing rhyming words promotes phonological awareness, the ability to hear that words are made of smaller sounds. Even though this is definitely a made-up story, there are lots of fun details that present facts in the picture (like when the bats are looking at "fancy food guides", they're actually looking at insect books!).

Felt Activity: Color Bats. I had made this set for a nocturnal animals storytime some time ago. We again talked about bats being nocturnal. I passed out the bats and then read this rhyme to call kids up to put their bats on the board:

The sun is setting,
The moon's rising high.
Now all the red bats
Start to fly!

After all the bats had been placed on the felt board, I told them that a group of bats is called a colony and together we counted the number of bats in our colony.

If you want to continue the fun, talk about how bats sleep (hanging upside down) and you can turn your bats upside down as you say this rhyme:

The moon has gone,
The sky's getting light
And all the red bats
Say goodnight!

Not only does this activity reinforce the idea of bats being nocturnal (though the repeated rhyme), it helps kids practice colors and get more comfortable with approaching an adult who is not in their family (school readiness skills!).

Book: Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats by Anne Earl, illustrated by Henry Cole (HarperCollins, 1995). The full text of this book is too much for my littles, but I did use one spread that shows the bat's wing. We talked about how a bat's wing is different from a bird wing - no feathers and the bone structure is different. And we talked about how a bat's finger bones make up the structure for its wings, so a bat is able to make its wings bend in many different ways. And we demonstrated using our own fingers.

I think the concept would have hit home more if I had a bat model, even a stuffed or large plastic bat to really show them where the bones are. But some of the kids got it, I think!

Book:  Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia Wynne (Charlesbridge, 2007). This simple nonfiction picture book is great for sharing with a young group. Simple text asks and answers many questions about the smallest of bats. It's quite easy to skip spreads if you need to shorten. And I had one little gentleman who somehow asked a bunch of questions out of curiosity just as we got to the spreads that answered those questions!

Closing Song: Do You Know What Time It Is?

Stations:

Hear Like a Bat - This simple activity is designed for kids and caretakers to do together and it illustrates how bats "see" with sound (very simplified, of course). One person puts the blindfold on and the other person rattles a maraca. The blindfolded person points to where the sound is coming from. This activity was adapted from Child Care Lounge.

Measure a Bat - Did you know that there are over 1200 species of bats and they come in many different sizes? Miss T created these paper bats for me, illustrating the great size difference in different types of bats. Pictured here, you see the flying fox with a wingspan of 5 feet, the Indiana bat with a wingspan of 10 inches, and the bumblebee bat with a wingspan of 6 inches. I put out rulers and invited kids to measure the bats. 

Nocturnal Animal Puppets - The most fun station for everyone was our nocturnal animal puppets. I looked up a list of nocturnal animals online and found that we actually had quite a few nocturnal animals in our puppet collection! I put out a fox, deer, wolf, beaver, owl, cat, mouse, possum, and firefly for the kids to play with. 

All in all, the stations were not super popular this time around, but the storytime went over better than I thought it would. The kids were really interested in the books, asking great questions and sharing what they knew. We also learned some great vocabulary words like "nocturnal" and "echolocation". 

And, of course, I am happy to spread my love of bats to the next generation!

Reading Wildly: Animal Fantasy

This month, for Reading Wildly we've changed things up a little bit. Our genre this month was Animal Fantasy (i.e. books where animals are the characters, animals talk, etc.). But we've had SO MANY booktalking programs scheduled that I know people may be reading all they can just to keep up with their assigned programs. So we read Animal Fantasy OR I asked each staff member to share a booktalk that they had done for a group or that they were planning on doing for a group. 

Yes, we want to be reading widely in a variety of genres to keep our reader's advisory skills sharp, but sharing booktalks with each other also helps everyone on my staff stay abreast of books they may want to take for booktalks. When I put the question of keeping our scheduled genres or lifting genre requirements to my staff, I did have some that liked the genre requirements. They push us all out of our comfort zone now and then. But I didn't want to overwhelm everyone with additional out-of-work reading when I know they're working hard to prep for programs. We made the genre requirement optional and I'll probably keep it optional at least through the end of 2014.

So, what did we read this month? 

Animal Fantasy:

• An Army of Frogs by Trevor Price
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien
• Nuts to You by Lynne Rae Perkins

Other Genres:

• Face to Face with Sharks by David Doubilet & Jennifer Hayes
• Here Comes the Parade by Tony & Lauren Dungy
• Home Sweet Horror by James Preller
• Junie B. Jones and the Stupid, Smelly Bus by Barbara O'Connor
• Mousetronaut by Mark Kelly
• Naughty Kitty by Adam Stower
• Night of the Zombie Goldfish by Paul Harrison

As you can see, some of the books my staff shared this month were easy readers and picture books. Normally, I ask that the books shared be chapter books, graphic novels, or nonfiction, but we have been doing some booktalks for 1st and 2nd grade classrooms. As our programming continues to expand, we'll keep our readers' advisory training flexible to make it as relevant and useful as possible! 

Next month, our genre is general fantasy, including high fantasy, supernatural, etc. 

Preschool Lab: Animals in Winter

This post is cross-posted at the Nonfiction Monday group blog. Head over there to see what nonfiction bloggers have been reading this week!

Preschool Lab is a new program we're offering for preschoolers at my library. In the past, we've done Changing Leaves and Magnets, and in November, we talked about what animals do in winter. I stole most of my activities and ideas from Christina Jones's wonderful animals in winter program at Knowledge Matters (see part 1 and part 2).

We started by talking about three new words: adapt, hibernate, and migrate. These three words came up over and over as we read our books and talked about what animals do to survive the winter. I also included these words on their take-home packet with simple definitions (provided by one of our children's dictionaries).

Opening Song: My Hands Say Hello - this is our standard opener and signals to everyone that it's time to start listening.

New words: We talked about adapt, hibernate, and migrate.

Book: When Winter Comes by Nancy Van Laan. I love the rhyming text and the wintry illustrations in this picture book. Each stanza features a different animal and my kids already knew (or could guess) what a lot of the animals did in winter. This provided us a great opportunity to talk about all these different animals, and of course it's great for them to hear those rhyming words.

Rhyme: Five Red Apples. I talked about what bears do in the winter: hibernate (one of our new words!). Before they hibernate, bears eat lots and lots and lots to build up fat to keep them warm. I used my bear puppet to eat each felt apple off the board as we counted down. At the end, I had bear fall asleep and told the kids that if they wanted to hear the rhyme again they'd need to wake him up!

Book: Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by Il Sung Na. Before we started this book, we talked about the picture of the rabbit on the front and back of the book. On the back cover he's brown for spring and on the front cover he's white for winter. We practiced our new words again as we went through this book that shows many different animals preparing for winter.

I had planned another book here, Animals in Winter by Martha E.H. Rustad, which talks in more detail about some of our new words and shows real photos of animals. My kids were getting a little antsy, though, so I skipped right to our last activity.

Felt Activity: I passed out the animals from our woodland creature felt set (made by laminating pictures of the animals and putting felt on the backs). I sang a little song ("If you have a fox, a fox, a fox. If you have a fox, bring him up right now!") and the kids brought their animals up and put them on the felt board. As each animal was placed on the board, we talked about what the animals do in the winter. I used bear, raccoon, squirrel, rabbit, fox, and deer.

Stations:

Which insulation works better? This is straight from Christina's post. I made up bags with feathers, yarn, and fat (vegetable shortening) and put them in tubs of ice. Children could predict which insulator would keep their hand the warmest, experiment, and then write down their conclusion.

Animal tracks in the snow. My wonderful Miss T made me some stencils of animal tracks that you might see here in Indiana. I put out paper and markers and let the kids trace animal tracks and label them. They loved this station and spent quite a bit of time here. This activity is great for fine motor control (using the markers and writing) and vocabulary (learning names of animals).

Before!

Getting dressed for winter. Miss T also made me some animal silhouettes in brown paper (representing their spring fur) and I put out cotton balls and our glue sponges and let the kids get the animals dressed for winter. As I circled around to this station, I talked about how these animals adapt by changing the color of their fur. I was worried that the glue sponge might not provide enough glue, but IT DID and it was way less messy than any of the other glue ideas I had.

After!

Felt station. I put out the felt pieces we had used and let the kids play with them. I printed the words to our Five Red Apples rhyme so the kids could say that with their grownup. I also put out the forest animals set, which is great for sorting, counting, and vocabulary.

Dramatic play. I put out all the woodland creature puppets we had and just let the kids play with them. They were very into this station and came up with some creative (and science-based) ideas! We have a screen with a forest scene painted on it (to hide a small storage area) and many of the kids used that as a backdrop for their play. They also played predator and prey with the fox eating mice. And yes, I had one little guy singing "What does the fox say?" at the end of our program. :)

Take-Home:

Of course I had displayed some books about winter animals, many of which were taken home. I also put out flyers for our other upcoming programs and a take-home packet with some additional activities. I included our three new words short directions (and web addresses) for: 

• Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder at 99Crafting.net
• Snack Like a Bear from The Freckled Homeschooler
• The Purdue Extension's information about common Indiana mammals (where I got the stencil outlines for our animal tracks)
• Printables from Preschool Printables

We had a blast this month and the stations were all very well-liked. This was our last Preschool Lab of the year; we'll take a storytime break from mid-December to mid-January to give us some time to plan for the spring. I'm looking forward to continuing our science learning this spring! 

The Dolphins of Shark Bay

The Dolphins of Shark Bay by Pamela S. Turner, with photographs by Scott Tuason. Grades 4-8. HMH Books for Young Readers, November 2013. 76 pages. Review copy provided by author.

All Scientists in the Field books are not created equal. Yes, this is a series we've come to depend on for solid scientific information and stellar back matter. Yes, it's a series that I collect at my library without question. But in terms of readability and kid-appeal, titles vary. And this, my friends, is a surefire hit.

Pamela S. Turner, author of The Frog Scientist (another SITF hit for me), accompanies scientists in Australia who are studying a group of dolphins who are really doing something cool. Some of these dolphins have been spotted using tools - collecting sponges from the ocean floor and using them to protect their snouts while rustling up dinner at the sandy, rocky bottom of the bay. Now, maybe it's a little easier to bring the kid-appeal when you're talking about dolphins, animals already well-known and well-loved by children. But author Pamela Turner treats these dolphins as characters in a story, allowing readers to get to know them and their distinct personalities and family structures.

While the scientists and their work is certainly central to the book, readers will also come to care about the dolphins of Shark Bay. Outstanding photos give us a closer look at these extraordinary animals using tools, hanging out with their families, frolicking, and so forth. Readers also get a strong conservation message and we learn how tourists feeding the dolphins was actually very harmful to them. This is important information, especially because Shark Bay is a real place with a a dolphinside resort.

Of course, this being a Scientists in the Field title, the standard extensive back matter is provided, including additional information about dolphins and further research about dolphins, resources for further study, an update on the dolphin clan, and an index.

This is one not to miss, folks! I'd press it into the hands of middle-graders interested in marine biology or who have enjoyed the following Scientist in the Field titles:

• The Frog Scientist by Pamela S. Turner
• Kakapo Rescue by Sy Montgomery

Happy Nonfiction Monday! You can find this week's roundup at NC Teacher Stuff, so please click through to see what the blogosphere is reading this week!

Animals Welcome

Animals Welcome: A Life of Reading, Writing, and Rescue by Peg Kehret. Grades 3-6. Dutton Books, 2012. 173 pages. Copy provided by my local library.

Author Peg Kehret loves animals.
I mean she loooooves animals!
So much that:

- Peg and her husband had their property declared a wildlife sanctuary. They've seen deer, elk, and even bears on their property and rescued many animals.

- Peg co-authored three of her books with a cat!

- She kept a pet cat who wouldn't allow her to pet him, turned her late husband's workshop into a home for foster cats, and she's spent thousands of dollars on vet care for stray animals she's rescued.

In Animals Welcome, Peg Kehret writes with warmth and humor about the animals she has known and loved. The writing is friendly and personable and she shares information she's learned about animals throughout the book. She also writes about animals in her novels that are based on animals she's known in real life.

I'd definitely classify this as a memoir, not an autobiography, since Peg concentrates on a specific aspect of her life. She includes photos of some of the animals she talks about and information about how to treat animals kindly. I can definitely see this book inspiring young readers to stand up for pets that are being mistreated or to get involved at their local animal shelters.

This memoir is sure to please animal lovers and anyone who cares about their pet (or wishes they could have a pet!). I'd also recommend it to fans of Peg Kehret's other books since she talks about the animal characters in her books and also about fans of her writing that she's met through her work with animals.

Readalikes:

Looking for another true story of a person passionate about animal rights? Try Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery.

Readers looking for more true pet stories might like Marley: A Dog Like No Other by Jon Grogan or Dewey the Library Cat by Vicki Myron (both are young readers' versions adapted from adult books).

Fiction series and novels about pets abound, but two I might recommend are Ribsy and Socks by Beverly Cleary for their gentle tones.

Young readers looking to read more about conservation and efforts to protect wild animals might like the following:

Can We Save the Tiger? by Martin Jenkins
The Elephant Scientist by Caitlin O'Connell and Donna Jackson
Kakapo Rescue by Sy Montgomery
The Manatee Scientists by Peter Lourie
Shark Life by Peter Benchley

Animals Welcome is on shelves now!

A Strange Place to Call Home

A Strange Place to Call Home: The World's Most Dangerous Habitats and the Animals That Call Them Home by Marilyn Singer, illustrated by Ed Young. Grades 4-6. Chronicle Books, 2012. 44 pages. Review copy provided by my local library. 

The inner sanctum of a cave, too dark for eyes to be useful. Deep inside a glacier, surrounded by ice. High on the mountains with little shelter from weather and wind. In the middle of a desert, buffeted by sandstorms. 

These are some of the dangerous places in which animals have adapted to live, and which are featured in Marilyn Singer's poems. 

Here's where I give you a caveat. I'm approaching this review from a nonfiction standpoint. WorldCat gives this book the subject heading of Animals -- Habitations -- Juvenile literature. The book's subtitle leads me to believe it's meant as an informational book. This review might be very different if I approached it as a poetry book. 

And this book was a definite miss for me. It's much better suited to be marketed as a poetry book, not an informational text, down to the fact that the only resource for further research is a link to a website on poetry forms. 

Spreads feature a poem about an animal living in a dangerous environment and an illustration by Caldecott-winning-illustrator Ed Young. Some poems have more information than others. They're done in a variety of formats and it's certainly intriguing to link an informational book with various forms of poetry. This book should be Common Core gold, but I found the informative aspect of the book to be weak. 

This book could work much better as a nonfiction text if facts (even brief facts) had accompanied each spread, not been grouped together at the end notes, particularly for the briefer poems. The illustrations, too, varied widely in their quality (a particular least favorite was the insane-looking mountain goat) and for the most part served this informational text poorly. For some animals, like the spadefoot toads seen from above, it's impossible to discern their actual shape from these illustrations. With many of these creatures so rarely seen and animals many kids may not be familiar with, photos included with the end notes would have gone a long way. 

Although facts are presented in the end notes (including the Latin names of the animals and the geographic area in which they live), no sources are cited and no author's or illustrator's note is included. A page with information about poetry forms, including listing the poetry forms used for some of the poems in the book, is included in the back matter.

Pick up this book if you're looking for a poetry book featuring different poetry forms. It could also be supplemental material to a unit on animal habitats and it may inspire students to do further research on the unusual animals discussed. But make sure you have other resources available for students, since this book provides no guidance on where to look for information. 

And hey, it's Nonfiction Monday, and Travis (one of our favorite guybrarians) is hosting over at 100 Scope Notes. Do go check it out! 

Zombie Makers

Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature's Undead by Rebecca L. Johnson. Grades 4+ Millbrook Press, October 2012. 48 pages. Review copy provided by my local library.

Real-life zombies walk among us... and they're closer than you think! Okay, so they're not the zombie you probably think about, the ones you see on TV and in the movies. Those kind of zombies don't exist. But there are animals that take over the bodies and brains of innocent creatures, and this book will give you the scoop on...

• a fungus that eats the inside of a fly, while controlling where it travels
• an insect that lays its eggs inside another insect, leaving it to "babysit" while the larva hatch and eat their way out
• a virus that drives its host mad with the uncontrollable urge to bite
• and many more!

Form meets function in this great children's nonfiction title. You won't want to miss Zombie Makers for your library and classroom shelves!

So, first of all, zombies are so in right now and this is a book that gets it right. With huge, color pictures of super gross stuff (like fungus coming out of an ant's head) and an ear-catching title, this book oozes kid appeal. The spreads are short and sweet with the perfect text-to-photo ratio that'll keep kids turning the pages (and probably exclaiming "Eeeeeew!" like I did on every spread). A quick stat chart on every new animal gives the animal's proper name, its nickname, its "zombie victim" (read: host), and its location. The spreads are embellished with splattery red, green, and black paint, perfectly evoking the zombie vibe. 

And the book provides tons of information. It's a topic that has a lot of appeal and the facts are presented in an engaging tone. Most of the spreads conclude with some information about the scientists who study or discovered that particular "zombie maker" or some additional information about it. The back matter makes my heart skip a beat (particularly satisfying in a title that has so very much kid appeal). Back matter includes an author's note, a glossary, source notes, a bibliography, an index, and a list of further resources. 

For some reason, this book doesn't have the feel of a Sibert winner (maybe because the topic seems trendy?), but I certainly hope the committee will give it strong consideration. Nonfiction for kids? YER DOIN' IT RIGHT!

Pair this book with Exploding Ants by Joanne Settel for more fun facts about amazingly weird animals. 

Hey, Betsy of A Fuse #8 Production also reviewed this book, so go check that out. Zombie Makers is on shelves now!

And HEY, happy Nonfiction Monday! This week's roundup is over at Practically Paradise, so make sure you check that out, too. 

Audiobook Review: The Cheshire Cheese Cat

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright, read by Katherine Kellgren and Robin Sachs. Grades 3-7. Listening Library, 2012 (Peachtree Publishers, 2011). 4 discs. Review copy provided by my local library.

Skilley, a London alley cat, longs for the warm hearth of The Cheshire Cheese Inn, so when he hears that they're looking for a mouser, he shows up. But Skilley has a terrible secret: he eats cheese instead of mice! When the smartest mouse at the inn figures out Skilley's secret, they arrange a deal to benefit them both: the mice will provide Skilley with cheese and he won't hunt them as long as they try to stay out of sight. But things get more complicated when Skilley learns that there's a captive at the inn... and he needs help.

This is a solid, charming story with plenty of fun Dickensian references, very timely for the hundredth anniversary of Charles Dickens's birth. Kids won't necessarily get the Dickens references, but they're fun nonetheless and this just may be the kind of book that kids will revisit at an older age. The characters and the interesting relationship between an educated mouse and a street cat working together drew me into the story and there's no one better to bring characters to life than narrator Katherine Kellgren.

Kellgren rocks it once again with this fully voiced production. I love her range of voices, from the prim and proper (and tiny!) mouse Pip to the rough-and-tumble alley cats to all the humans of the Cheshire Cheese. She has a gift for getting characters' personalities across in the way she voices them, and that truly brings the story to life. Robin Sachs narrates bits here and there from the writings of Charles Dickens as he observes the small dramas happening in the Cheshire Cheese and tries to come up with an opening line for his next novel. Sachs reads with dignity befitting such an esteemed historical figure, and his bits add an authenticity to the story.

I'd recommend this story to fans of classic animal stories like Charlotte's Web, A Cricket in Times Square, or Bunnicula. The audiobook would make a fantastic family listen, as I think it will appeal to a wide range of ages and adults who will pick up on the Dickens references.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat was the 2011 Cybils Winner in the Middle Grade Science Fiction & Fantasy Category and a contestant in SLJ's Battle of the Books. Also check out Betsy's review at A Fuse #8 Production.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat is available now!

* Hey, I'm an Audible affiliate, which means that if you purchase audiobooks after clicking on the links here I may get a small commission.