National Pollinator Week

Who knew?

June 17th to 23rd is National Pollinator Week. This is the first time I've come across this week of commemoration and by coincidence, it fit in with a few new books I had selected to blog about, focused on bees. Here are some suggestions for elementary grades:  


Bee: a peek-through picture book by Britta Teckentrup
This one is for young bees with a gently rhyming text and die-cut illustrations showing exactly how a bee goes about its business. This one is for the primary grades.








Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski
This focuses on the way bees communicate to each other about where to find good sources of flowers. Basic expository test clearly explains this process making it accessible for the primary grades. Lovely, bright illustrations are very inviting.

The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall and Isabelle Arsenault
Whereas the first two books really focused on the collection of pollen and communicating the source of food between bees, The Honeybee goes a bit further.  Additional  information (in rhyme) explains what happens when pollen and nectar laden bees go back to the hive and how honey in made. The illustrations are more fanciful and less anatomically correct then the first two books. Another one for the early grades.





The Bee Book by Charlotte Milner

Of the four books, this one has the most information about all things pertaining to bees such as various kinds of bee, anatomy, activities in the hive, seasonal activities, pollination, swarming, communication, importance of bees and the threats that bees are currently exposed to. The text is typically broken into small chunks so as to not overwhelm the reader. I like the illustrations for being fairly simplistic. A good book for report writing for grades 3 to 6.


There seems to be many books written about bees recently making it pretty easy to find one for studying bees, insects, interconnectedness between species and environmental issues. 

Soooo easy to bee-in-the-know, isn't it?

Spinning, flipping and popping to learn

A couple of nonfiction books that recently caught my eye are from the publisher 360 degrees. What I liked their approach to lift-the-flap books for older kids. 

In Focus: Close-ups, Cutaways, Cross Sections, 10 Illustrators created by Libby Walden is a general information book that covers a range of topics from both the natural and human-made worlds in a unique way.  Each double spread focuses on a theme providing a random but interesting selection of facts about the creatures or things represented. These two pages then fold out to a four page spread to take the reader even deeper into the facts.

For example, the first spread is about the ocean. Featured are various sea creatures such as the blue whale, sea horse, puffer fish, swordfish, jellyfish and starfish, to name a few. We learn a pertinent fact or two about the animals from the front pages such as the blue whale is the largest animal to have ever lived on the planet and typically lives between 80 to 90 years.  Or that starfish are not fish and though commonly seen with 5 arms they can have as many as 40. Or that jellyfish have been around more than 650 million years!  Flipping open the top pages, we see cross sections of the animals exposing their skeletons and internal organs. From here, there is more detailed information. Did you know that the heart of the blue whale is the size of a small car weighing in at 770 kg or 1550 lbs? Amazing.

Topics covered are: the physical structure of homes found worldwide, space and space vehicles, international landmarks, various plants, animals and geological features, everyday objects, well-known buildings from around the world, fruits and vegetables, land animals and modes of transportation.  Wide ranging, indeed.

The second book is Wilderness: an Interactive Atlas of Animals by Hannah Pang. This one also uses flaps, pop ups and spinning wheels to engage readers about an array of animals from all continents both land and water.

The formats are the draw here and there are many of these kinds of trivia/random information books out there.  The illustrations are well done and support the informational tidbits.

I see these as interesting resources for classrooms but not necessarily crucial.  These books will appeal to some kids  and could be used in centres or for individual reading time. Elementary and middle grade students are the best audience for these books.

Animals + Technology = Perfect STEM Connections

Unstoppable: True Stories of Amazing Bionic Animals

by Nancy Furstinger is the perfect book for middle grade STEM classes.

It combines true stories of animals of varying species with mobility issues with stories of technology and science that provide second chances for these same animals.

 

Typically, the reader is given a quick synopsis of how the animal came to have their problem and then a much more detailed description of how people have figured out ways to make the animals mobile once more.

The stories focus on a range of typical farm animals including sheep, goats, cows, horses, pigs to family pets like dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs to much more exotic creatures such as elephants, an eagle, a llama, dolphins, an alligator, a Sandhill crane and turtles. Some have been born with impediments, and others subjected to human cruelty or an accident that left them physically impaired.

With the help of many kind people who take in these animals their lives are greatly improved when doctors, vets, scientists, engineers, companies that design mobility devices for pets become involved.  It’s fascinating to hear what goes into making these kinds of devices, everything from leg and feet/hoof prosthetics and orthotics to wheelchairs, mobile slings, moving tails, beaks, and shells. As you would expect, technology plays a huge part in this from basic designs and DIY supplies all the way up to high tech solutions like 3D printing and implants.

This is an inspiring book as we learn about the indomitable spirits of impaired and hurt animals to the loving people who take them in to the creative people who come up with the myriad of ways to improve their quality of life.

Recommended for middle grade animal lovers and STEM-based learners.

Guest blogger - Coding, Ed Tech and Making: Some new reads

Today's blog is written by my colleague, Paula Hollohan, the Doucette Library's Instructional Technologies and Information Specialist.  She's just refreshed herself by browsing through some of the Doucette Library's recent additions. Her focus is on books with a strong connection to STEM topics.

By Paula Hollohan

Even though I work full time in a library, it seems the minutes I get to spend with new books must be intentional and sometimes a bit rushed.  I would love to curl up in a chair with a cart of books beside me to savour new samplings for the collection.

As things are unusually quiet on the desk today, I can take a moment to look at what is new and cool in the areas that I spend the most time with.

My favourite book of the new batch is The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague, written by Julia Finley Mosca and illustrated by Daniel Rieley.  

The subject of this nonfiction picture book is Raye Montague, one of the many hidden figures whose innovation changed the way navy ships are built.  She overcame exceptional odds being a black woman in the 1950s to design, in 1971, the FFG-7 Frigate.  Using her own computer programs, she completed the design of the frigate in 18 hours and 26 minutes.  The accompanying notes, bibliography and time line, all contribute to the wealth of information in this book.  The big problem I have with it is that it is written in verse.  What a shame.  The story would stand better is some well-written prose to showcase the power of her accomplishments.  This book can be included in classrooms up to grade 6 as students learn how to write biographical information, consider time lines of famous people, and collect biographic research about historical figures and just for students to ponder the strength and tenaciousness of this intelligent woman.

Doll-E 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey would be a great book to have in your classroom.

From grades K-3, girls will recognize the pressure (sometimes from parents) to play with dolls but our main character, Charlotte, incorporates her “making” into traditional play.  Charlotte is a maker and a tinkerer.  Although her house seems full of opportunities for her to indulge her maker imagination, Charlotte’s mother gives her a doll.  Just a doll.  It says “mama.”  As Charlotte puts her mind to it, knowing that a doll who talks must also have a power supply, she unleashes her “making” and inventions and innovations ensue.

Two books have recently come in that would be great “browsers” to have in your classroom to spur students on to learn about innovative ideas.

Engineered!Engineering Design at Work: A fun exploration of nine amazing feats by Shannon Hunt and James Gulliver Hancock looks at 9 different amazing feats of engineering from the following fields: aerospace, biomedical, chemical, mechanical, electrical, civil, geomatics, computer and environmental engineering.  Examples like the Millau Viaduct, a traffic problem solving bridge that was built on time and on budget and solved a major traffic issue in France.  The innovative design is an engineering feat and a work of art. 

InnovationNation: How Canadian innovators made the world …smarter, smaller, kinder,safer, healthier, wealthier, happier by David Johnston and Tom Jenkins, illustrated by Josh Holinaty would also provide a great browsing experience in any classroom.  Pages 124-125 give a two page spread on “How you can be an innovator,”  listing ways to inquire, ideate, incubate and implement ideas and what steps to take within each action to be the best innovator ever.  I also loved reading about the invention and pick up of JAVA script and the plastic garbage bad and something known as the “shrouded tuyere,” a way to stir steel invented by Robert Lee who came up with the idea after tooting in the bathtub.  Innovation is everywhere.  Both these books would be valuable in middle grades.

And now about that edict to have your students coding from k-12.  There are some easy ways to get students coding in your classroom but what if one of the ways was to read a picture book.  How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk, illustrated by Sara Palacios is not an excellent picture book but does present the ideas and vocabulary that are foundational in coding and anchors it to a familiar activity, building a sandcastle.  Look for working definitions of sequence, loops, and “if-then-else” statements.  Having one of these books in your collection is plenty and this one does the job.  Keep this one to the early grades.

Get Coding! LearnHTML, CSS, and JAVAscript and build a website, app and game by Young Rewired State is an attractive sort of book of challenges where you work through various coding recipes to make a website, app and a game.  This book would be great in a classroom where every year now you will be able to reach some of your students through these coding challenges.  Now, keep in mind, that coding books like this are awesome usually for a short time so buy it now and use it.  In September Get Coding2 is coming out and will be full of new challenges. I would say to start kids in grade 3 with these tasks and use this book through grade 9 or 10.

Sometimes when I am looking for a new approach to educational technology I fall back on an old library habit.  See what the new books look like and how can they be used to engage students in new ed tech challenges.  This list has a little something for everyone.  They will be included in the Doucette collection later this week for your use.  And I do feel a sense of renewal now that I have touched a few new books.

Nonfiction 10 for 10

#nf10for10 is an online celebration of nonfiction picture books. Whether you'd like to contribute or just pop into see what others are featuring, I strongly recommend doing so.

Click on this link to follow along at Enjoy and Embrace Learning blog or twitter with the #nf10for10 hashtag.

Every year I find out about new and sometimes older picture book titles that teachers, librarians, booksellers and parents are giving and reading to children.

My picks are pretty eclectic this year.  It's a list of picture books I enjoyed, found beautiful or made me chuckle.

So in no particular order...


#1. The Butterfly Garden by Laura Weston
      A lift-the-flap book that portrays the life cycle of the monarch butterfly in a beautiful and unique way. This is a black-and-white board book with flaps that open into brightly coloured butterflies, caterpillars, leaves and flowers. Recommended for Kindergarten to grade 2.

#2. Picture the Sky by Barbara Reid
     Barbara Reid's illustrations always amaze me. Composed from clay, she creatively conveys every mood she describes. In this book, the reader is shown variations in the light from skies in different landscapes at different times of the day and night and everything in between. Would be a great mentor text for art and language arts classrooms. Recommended for Kindergarten to grade 2.

#3. The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter, and Caprice Crane.
      A few years ago Esther the Pig had an adult book written about her. This picture book tells young readers how she came to live in the family that took her in and what life is like living with a  650 pound pig. Emphasis is on lots of love. Lots of love!  Recommended for Kindergarten to grade 3.

#4. Hawk Mother: the Story of a Red-Tailed Hawk Who Hatched Chickens by Kara Hagedorn
     This book is filled with fantastic photographs detailing the journey an injured red-tail hawk lived through, from a wildlife rehabilitate centre to living with a human who tries to give her a life that is as authentic as possible. To that end, Shineshine (the hawk) was given a couple of chicken eggs to hatch after several years of trying to hatch her own infertile eggs. The question would she see these chicks as her's or potentially, as a meal? Excellent nonfiction writing with additional information and glossary.  Recommended for grades 2 to 6.

#5. Welcome to Country: a Traditional Aboriginal Ceremony by Aunty Joy Murphy 
       Written by a Wurundjeri woman from Australia, we learn about the importance of the welcoming ceremony as cultural greeting offered by Elders to visitors to enter onto their traditional lands.The illustrations are reminiscent of bark paintings. Emphasizes the importance to connecting to the land and respecting the people and ancestors of that land.
Recommended for grades 1-6.

#6. The Secret Kingdom: Nek Chand, a Changing India, and a Hidden World of Art by Barb Rosenstock.
      A creative, little boy loves the stories he learns from his family that reflect the rich Indian culture of his village. This is India in 1947 at the time of partition when Hindus and Muslims were separated into two countries. Nek and his family are forced to leave their homes. Moving to a new city that seemed devoid of the culture he loved, Nek collects and re-purposes trash and constructs his own village from it over a period of year.This renown folk artist has up to 4000 people a day visit his Rock Garden of Chandigarh. You need to check out the Foundations website to see some of his sculptures and how he changed the landscape. Amazing! Recommended for grades 3-7. Great book to tie in to units about recycling trash into art, science units about waste in our world and social studies units about India and partition. 

#7. Inky's Amazing Escape: How a Very Smart Octopus Found His Way Home by Sy Montgomery
     I've a soft spot for stories about octopues since reading Sy Montgomery's book, The Soul of an Octopus. This book conveys the intelligence of this marvelous animal while he learn about how they live. This one has the added bonus of an adventure story as a rescued octopus finds his own way back to the ocean from an aquarium that had been his home. Recommended for grades 3-6.

#8. The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World's Coral Reefs by Kate Messner and Matthew Forsythe
      Recounts how Ken Nedimyer was fascinated with oceans as a boy. He noticed that corals in the Florida Keys were in distressed and dying. Through his interest and endeavors he discovered a way to cultivate introduced corals into areas that were in dire need of help. Beautifully illustrated. Recommended for grades 3-6.

#9.  Around the World in Numbers by Clive Gifford and Josh Hurley.
      Divided by continent, the reader who loves trivia will enjoy this book. Lots of statistics are given for a range of eclectic things related to specific countries or specific areas in countries. Examples: 1,500 paintbrushes and 66 tons  of paint are used repaint the Eiffel Tower; 38,000,000 motorbikes are the most popular form of transport in Vietnam; 2.25 gallons of water can be held in an African elephant's trunk; 100,000,000 leather slippers are made in Morocco every year; 5.9 million pounds of maple syrup were stolen by thieves in Canada in 2012, etc. Because such large areas are covered there are not a lot of details for any one country. Good for browsing. Recommended for grades 4-7.

And....

#10.  Mama Africa!: How Miriam Makeba Spread Hope with Her Song by Kathryn Erskine.
       Born in South Africa apartheid was enforced, Miriam uses her amazing voice to sing songs of protest to raise awareness and protest the oppression that black South Africans live  under. This picture book tells of the trials and tribulations that she endured. Extensive author's notes, timeline, glossary, bibliography and additional reading list are included. Recommended for grades 4-7.

2018 - Tammy’s & Paula’s Annual Gift Book Bonanza

It’s that time of year again, Folks.  Paula and I have compiled a list of recommendations to make book  buying a breeze, this holiday season.  So, whether you’re looking for winter wonderland tales, festive fantasies, rabble rousing reads, mirthful myths, nasty narratives or creative crafts we’ve got something for everyone.

Just like the list from past years, all the books have been linked to the Chapters/Indigo bookstore website. After spending a few hours (6 Tammy - it was six hours) pursuing their shelves with a holiday-themed drink in hand, we came up with this list of books which we know you can purchase.  With the recent postal service disruptions, there’s no guarantee that ordering online will get your selections to you in a timely manner. It’s back to the way things use to be for our forefathers and foremothers (would that be forepersons? Hmm….) where you have to go to the store and deal with packs of panicked, frazzled folks looking to buy something for hard-to-buy Uncle Harold. Let the good times roll!!

Tis’ the season, after all.

The list will be released over three days.  Up first, are books for the youngest readers with a fantastic selection of picture books to peruse. The second part of the list will be for ages 9 to 12 with books for teenagers coming last including novels and nonfiction books.

So, without further ado…

(Psst - keep scrolling down if you want to see recommendations for ages 5 to 8.)

DAY 3

Adulting Audits, Albums and Aspirations

Here we are on Day 3 of this lengthy list of great reads.  Today, we feature books for those young adults in your house who are in high school or on the cusp of adulting, a new term meaning taking on the responsibilities of an adult, a metaphorical testing of the waters.  Cookbooks (a main survival skill), adventures, real and imagined, hockey stories, social media influencers and celebrities make up this diverse and long list of suggestions.  We are sure you will find something for your teen.  And as we wind up the 2018 list, let us also wish you and yours a wonderfully peaceful holiday season that includes a little time for some reading of your own.

Funny side of life…

Books that have a little levity, I think make the best gifts especially if you're not sure about the tastes and interests of the reader you're buying for. The select titles in the list below all look to be humorous or at least witty.  That should earn you a few brownie points for effort, right?

147 Things: My User’s Guide to the Universe, from Black Holes to Belly Buttons by Jim Chapman

*Nonfiction  * Internet celebrity  *Trivia  *Personal musings  *Humour

 

The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle

*Novel  *Contemporary   *LGBTQ   *Humour

I See London, I See France by Sarah Mlynowski

*Novel  *Contemporary  *Travel  *Friendship  *Romance

Pride: a Pride and Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi

*Novel  *Contemporary  *Humour  *Romance

Keepin’ it Real…

These are all contemporary stories reflecting young folks struggling to figure out who they are and how they fit into their world.

Fire Song by Adam Garnet Jones

*Novel  *Indigenous characters  *Identity  *LGBTQ  *Grief

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

*Novel  *Contemporary  *Urban Black cultre  *Amazing story!  *Interesting storytelling!!  *Ghosts

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

*Novel  *LGBTQ  *Romance  *New York  *Contemporary  *Witty

Looking Back

We only have three books for this category and they all feature female protagonists. I though, "Hmm. What did we miss?" and went looking to see about books for guys. Not a lot of new titles out there, folks. I even found a blog which said the same thing. Let's hope next year there's a better crop of historical novels for this age group.

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

*Novel  *Historical  *World War II

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

*Novel  *Sequel  *Historical  *Gender issues

Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy

*Novel  *  Classic  *Canadian  *Dreams  *Independence

In a Land Far, Far Away…

Whether the reader you're shopping for is into fantasies feature mages, magic and epic battles or futuristic distopias or alternate realities you will find something here. The book jacket cover art for some of these books are very eye-catching and will make great gifts.

The Black Witch by Laurie Forest

*Novel  *Fantasy  *Magic  *Independence

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

*Novel  *Fantasy  *Magic  *Rebellion  *World building  *Great book jacket

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

*Novel  *Fantasy  *Stand alone in series  *Character development

Furyborn (the Empirium Trilogy, bk. 1) by Claire Legrand

*Novel  *First in series  *Fantasy  *Epic  *Romance

Impostors by Scott Westerfeld

*Novel  *Futuristic  *In series, Uglies  *Power plays

Kingdom of Ash (A Throne of Glass novel) by Sarah J. Maas

*Novel  *Fantasy  *Cool cover  *Final in series  *Female heroine

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

*Novel  *Series  *Fantasy  *Magic   *Game playing

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

*Novel  *Indigenous  *Futuristic  *Canadian  *Award winner  *Genetics

On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

*Graphic novel  *Space travel  *Love story

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

*Novel  *Fantasy  *Mages  *Backstory to series  *Relationships

A Winter’s Promise (The Mirror Visistor, bk. 1) by Christells Dabos

*Novel  * Fantasy  *First in quartet  *Great cover

Short and Snappy

Not everyone like short narratives but if you have an aspiring writer or a struggling reader this format can be inspirational in the stories themselves or inspire confidence for writers and readers.

Am I There Yet: the Loop-de-Loop Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood by Mari Andrew

*High school/adult crossover  *Graphic novel/comics  *Adulting  *Memoir   *Some humour

Hope Nation: YA Authors Share Personal Moments of Inspiration edited by Rose Brock

*High school  *Short stories  *Writers

 

Norse Mythology  by Neil Gaiman

*High school  *Mythology  *Vikings

Tales from the Inner City by Shaun Tan

*Gr. 7 and up  *Illustrated poems  *Natural world  *Interconnectedness  *Interesting illustrations  *Heavy on the quirky

Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens edited by Marieke Nijkamp

*High school  *Short stories

 Reality Reads for the Realist – Nonfiction for high school and beyond

Not everyone curls up with a novel over the holidays.  Sometimes reality is the way to go for some readers.  Adventures, History, Celebrity Biographies and Social Media Influencers are on this list of read reads.

Alone Against the North by Adam Shoalts

*High school  *True Story  *Nature  *Adventure  * Canada  

Hindsight and All the Things I Can See in Front of Me by Justin Timberlake

*High School  *Fanbook    *Coffee Table

The Never-Ending Present:  the story of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip by Michael Bareclay

*High school/adult  *Nonfiction  *Biography  *Music  *Canada

Prince – A private view by Afshin Shahidi

*High school  *Fanbook  

The Science of Why, vol. 3: answers to questions about science, myths, mysteries and marvels by Jay Ingram

*High school/adult crossover  *Nonfiction  *Science  *Natural world

Tall Tales, Long Lenses: my adventures in photography by John E. Marriott

*High school/adult cross-over  *Nonfiction  *Photography  *Canadian wilderness

Books with Buzz… Movie and TV Tie-ins and Social Media

We often find that readers will chase up books that connect with movies, TV shows or social media celebrities they’ve connected to and their interest has been twigged.  The following selection really does have a little something for everyone from historical romance, contemporary, gritty urban situations, steampunk fantasies, internet celebrities coaching the rest of us on fashion, Instagram and life in general. We’ve included middle grade and high school level books in this category plus a couple that are adult crossovers.

Dreaming Out Loud by Baby Ariel

*High school  *Nonfiction  *Real life (sort of)  *Web celebrity  *Memoir’ish

The Guernesy Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

*High school  *Novel  *Movie tie-in  *Historical  *Letters  *Post World War II  *Community  *Romance

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

*High school  *Novel  *Movie tie-in  *Black urban culture  *Racism  *Activism

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

*Middle grades  *Novel  *Movie tie-in  *Movie isn’t based on books  *English nanny  *Magic

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

*Middle grades  *Novel  *Movie tie-in  *Sequels are: Predator’s Gold, Infernal Devices, and Darkling Plain  *Steampunk  *Fantasy

My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell

*Middle grades  *Nonfiction  *Autobiography  *Family  *Animals  *TV tie-in

Riverdale: Student Handbook: What You Really Need to Know by Jenne Simmon

*High school  *TV tie-in  *Fan book  *Archie comics

Styling for Instagram by Leela Cyd

*High school  *Nonfiction  *Social media  *Photography

This is Me: Loving the Person You Are Today by Chrissy Metz

*High school/adult crossover  *TV tie-in  *Nonfiction *Memoir  *Actress

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

*High School  *Novel  *Movie-tie  *Contemporary  *Adolescence  * Romance  *First in series

World of Style by Aimee Song

*High school  *Nonfiction  *Fashion  *Photo book

Creative Cooks – Cookbooks for every age

Do you know an aspiring cook or someone in your house who needs to move out and cook for themselves?  Here are four cookbooks we found to have a variety of skill levels and good results for all to enjoy.

 

Cook with Amber: fun, fresh recipes to get you in the kitchen by Amber Kelley

*Middle grades  *Nonfiction  *Cookbooks  *Teen chef  *YouTube channel

Cooking Step by Step by DK

*Gr. 1-6  *Nonfiction  *Food/cooking  *Very basic recipes

Good Housekeeping Kids Cook!: 100+ super-easy, delicious recipes

*Gr. 4-8  *Nonfiction  *Food/cooking  *Pretty easy recipes

Sweet Revenge: passive-aggressive desserts for your exes and enemies by Heather Kim

*High School  *Nonfiction  *Food/cooking  *Puns  *Humour  *Great cover art

Artsy Albums  - A book for the artist in your world

Although we have only one book in this category, we don’t want to miss it.  For the special budding artist a mixed media collection of journal pages will be a book they will spend quite of a bit of time with over the holidays.  Each journal page may spark a burst of creativity or a wonderful stash of ideas for upcoming projects.

The World of Artist Journal Pages curated by Dawn Devries Sokol

*High School  *Middle School *Mixed media journaling  *Artists   

  

DAY 2

Marvelous Middle School Missives (Okay, longer than a missive but less than a tome.)

It’s day 2 and we’ve compiled this eclectic, epic list of rollicking adventures, fantastic fantasies, and fine family fare that will cover the array of emotions that tweens experience like playing the scale on a piano.  Everyone needs a little downtime during the holidays so encourage a sip of hot chocolate, a cozy chair and a great read for some escape from the everyday drama.

Rip-Roaring Adventures

There’s nothing like an adventure to expand one’s horizons. The following selection will certainly do that.  Think Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Dr. Who and Twenty-Leagues Under the Sea and you’ll get the idea.

 

The Explorer by Katherine Rundell

*Novel  *Adventure  *Amazon jungle  * Survival story  *Mystery

Race to the Bottom of the Sea by Lindsay Eager

*Novel  *Orphans  *Adventures  *Girl inventor  *Pirates  *Humour

The Train to Impossible Places by P.G. Bell

*Novel  *Magical adventures  *Fantasy   *Travel

Voyage of the Dogs by Greg Van Eekhout

*Novel  *Dogs  *Space adventure  *Humour  *Action

  

Fabulous Fantasy – The Fast and the Furious

There is a huge number of fantasy choices out there and a lot of them look really good.  Paula and I had to work to narrow down this selection so it wasn’t just a list of a hundred fantasy novels for middle grade.

Beast of Stone (Wing and Claw series) by Linda Sue Park

*Novel  *Series  *Animals  *Healer 

City of Islands by Kali Wallace

*Novel  *Orphan  *Strong world building  *Undersea adventures

The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin, illustrated by Luis Royd

*Novel  * Dragons  *Girl protagonist  *War  *Original fairy tale

Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman

*Novel  *Great cover art  *Orphans  *Twins  *Orphan twins  *Magic  *Shape shifting

Inkling by Kenneth Oppel

*Novel  *Identity  *Art  *Canadian author

Ogre Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

*Novel  *Sequel  *Fairy tale

Scrap City by D.S. Thornton

*Novel  *Makers  *Robots

Stuck in the Stone Age (Story Pirates) by Geoff Rodkey

*Gr.3-7  *Novel  *Story writing manual  *Adventure  *Time travel  *Humour

The Trials of Apollo: the Burning Maze by Rick Riodan

*Novel  *Greek gods  *Immortal made mortal  *New York  *Series

The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

*Gr.3-6  *Novel  *Sequel  *Robot  *Identity

Dining Room Drama for the Almost Teen

Spending time in a family with pre-teens or just teens during the holidays is fun (and sometimes either silent or very noisy).   You can experience every mood and emotion and that’s just before breakfast so a fun, family book may make your young person feel they are not alone at this time in their lives.  Angst is everywhere.

Dear Sister by Alison McGhee

*Novel  *Sibling Rivalry   *Family drama  *Humour

Ghost   :    Patina   :   Sunny   :    Lu (4 interrelated books) by Jason Reynolds

*Novels  *Series but each can stand alone  *Running  *Friendship  *Family

Midnight in the Piazza by Tiffany Parks

*Novel  *Mystery  *Rome  *Family

Very Rich by Polly Horvath

*Novel  *Odd families  *Rich people  *Poor people

You had to be there! – Funny stories for your teen-ish kid

Middle school kids seem to have their own language.  Parents often get a laugh when they use a cool word in an “uncool” way.  One way into this teen-ish world is through a good story.  Here are a few with some humour included in the price.

The Bad Guys in Do-You-Think-He-Saurus? By Aaron Blabey

*Gr. 3-5  *Novel  *Humour  *Predators (misunderstood, of course)  *Dinosaurs  *Time travel

Ozy and Millie by Dana Simpson

*Novel  *Funny  *Animal story

Silent (but deadly) Night (Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder by Jo Nesbo

*Novel   *Boy appeal  *Humour

Two Dogs in a Trench Coat go to School by Julie Falatko, illustrated by Colin Jack

*Gr. 2-6  *Novel  *Humour  *Dogs  *School story  *First in series

Lost in the Past – Historical Reads for the Middle Grades

As is sometimes the way, at this time of year, we wish to visit what we think of as a “simpler” time.  By reading historical fiction, we are transported, as if by time machine, to sometime in the past to enjoy an armchair experience. 

 

The Fire Stallion by Stacy Gregg

*Middle grade  *Horse book  *Girl main character

Flamingo Boy by Michael Morpurgo

*War time  *Animal Story  *Middle School

The Ghost Road by Charis Cotter

*Middle grades  *Novel  *Newfoundland  *Family curse and secrets

The Night Garden by Polly Horvath

*Middle grades  *Novel  *Historical  *Canada  *World War II  *Magic

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words. So, What’s a Graphic Novel Worth?

Looking for an engaging read for your not-so-engaged reader?  Graphic novels aimed at the middle schooler may be just the answer you are looking for.  Some are colourful and action packed and these ones have great story lines.  All are part of series that may just jumpstart your middle school student to read every book.

The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Big Day: a graphic novel by Gale Galligan

*Gr. 3-4  *Graphic novel  *Series  *Family  *Friends

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

*Graphic novel   *Mythology

Supernova (Amulet: book 8) by Kazu Kibuishi

*Graphic novels   *Sequel/series  *Fantasy/adventure

Rational Reads for the Realist – Nonfiction for the middle grader

I know, I know – the reader in your house doesn’t like dragons or rockets or dystopian worlds but sinks their teeth into Shark Week and National Geographic Documentaries.  We picked out non-fiction reads that will excite any fact finder you may know.  Biographies, constellations, artists, and a world of information … it’s all here.

Code Girls: the true story of the American women who secretly broke codes in World War II by Liza Mundy (Young Readers Edition)

*Middle grades  *Nonfiction  *History  *World War II  *United States  *Gender issues *Codebreaking

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (Young Readers Edition)

*Middle grades  *Nonfiction  *Memoirs

Pirates Magnified by David Long

*Activity book  *Middle grades and younger  *Pirates

Robert Bateman: the boy who painted nature by Margriet Ruurs

*Canadian  *Biography *Nature  *Middle school 

 

Seeing Stars: a complete guide to the 88 constellations by Sara Gillingham

*Middle grades  *Nonfiction  *Star gazing  *History  *Western focus

Sharkpedia: track, discover, explore by Margaret Parrish and Nancy Ellwood, 2^nd ed.

*Middle grades  *Nonfiction  *Trivia  *Sharks

A World of Information by James Brown and Richard Platt

*Gr. 6 and up  *Nonfiction  *Trivia  *Natural world  *Human world  *Beautiful design

In a Class of Their Own  - National Geographic and DK Books

These books will appeal to everyone even the non-readers you might know.  National Geographic and Dorling Kindersley excel at producing books with amazing photos with intriguing bits of information in attractive layouts.



Animal Encyclopedia by National Geographic
*Gr.1-9   *Nonfiction  *Science  *Animals  *Amazing photos  *Browser

How Things Work Then and Now by Nat Geo Kids
*Gr.3 to 7  *Nonfiction  *Browser

Record Breakers!: More than 500 Fantastic Feats: Fastest, Biggest, Strongest by DK
*Nonfiction  *Trivia   *Human world   *Natural world


Ultimate Dino-pedia by Nat Geo Kids
*Nonfiction  *Dinosaurs  *Browser  *High interest

Ultimate Secrets Revealed by Nat Geo Kids
*Gr. 3-7  *Nonfiction  *Browser

The Ultimate Treasury of Horses  by DK
*Nonfiction  *Horses/animals  *Beautiful photos 

Weird by True! Gross by Nat Geo Kids
*Gr.2-6  *Nonfiction  *Browser  *All things yuck


Weird by True! 10: 350 Outrageous Facts by Nat Geo Kids
*Gr.2-6  *Nonfiction  *Browser  *Wide ranging trivia

Write Your Own Book by DK
*Gr.3-7  *Writing  *Activity book  *Autobiography


Keeping Busy  - Activity Books


Build Your Own Chain Reaction Machines by Paul Long
*Nonfiction  *Makers  *Simple machines  

Curious Jane by Curious Jane
*Nonfiction  *Arts and crafts  *Science experiments  *

Marvelous Makeable Monsters by Sam Haynor
*Gr.2-7  *Nonfiction  *Arts and crafts  *Making  

Science Ideas : Inventions in 30 Seconds
*Makers  *Browser

Coding is the New Black


Coding Projects in Scratch by Jon Woodcock
*Makers  *Coding

An Encyclopedia for Strategy for Fortniters: an Unofficial Guide for Battle Royale by Jason R. Rich
*Gaming  *Fortnite  *Clues and strategies

Girls Who Code: Crack the Code by Sarah Hutt
*Makers  *Coding  *Activity book




DAY 1

Winter Wonderland Tales

This is up first because it's seasonal and as I already said 'Tis the season, right?

Most of these are picture books geared for preschool to eight-year-olds. There are a couple of exceptions, however, novels that will appeal to kids, eight to twelve.

All Right Already!: a Snowy Story by Jory John & Benji Davies

*Picture book  *Humour  *Friends  *Animals

Bear and Chicken by Jannie Ho

*Picture book  *Winter  *Animals  *Frienship

Before Morning by Joyce Sidman and Beth Krommes

*Picture book  *Beautiful  *Snow day  *Retro illustrations  *Tammy’s favorite

A Boy Called Christmas series (3 volumes) by Matt Haig, illustrated by Chris Mould

*3 novels: A Boy Called Christmas; The Girl Who SavedChristmas; Father Christmas and Me

*Middle grades  *Illustrated novels  *Christmas stories  *Fantasy  *Dicken-esque atmosphere

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: the Meltdown by Jeff Kinney

*Gr. 3-7  *Novel  *Series  *Diary format  *Winter theme  *Friendship

Erik the Lone Wolf by Sarah Finan

*Picture book  *Winter  *Family  *Animal story

Got to Get to Bear’s by Brian Lies

*Picture book  *Great illustrations  *Friendship

Small Walt; Small Walt and Mo the Tow by Elizabeth Verdick

*Picture books  *Snow plow  *Retro look 

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs

*Picture book  *Classic (aka it’s been around a while)  *Board book  *Wordless  *Comic book panels  *Paula's pick

Winter is Here by Kevin Henkes

*Picture book  *Winter activities

Wolf in the Snow by Matthew Cordell

*Picture book  *Winter story  *Animal story

We're All About the Holly Jolly

A good many of the picture books Paula and I were drawn to this year were funny. I'm not sure what the clerks at the book thought about us chuckling, chortling and guffawing our way up and down the aisles. Now that I think of it, one fellow kept cruising by asking if we need any help. Probably, but we didn't take him up.

Breaking News: Alien Alert by Daivd Biedrzyck
*Picture book  *Humour  *Newscast format  *Aliens (of course)

Buddy and Earl Meet the Neighbors by Maureen Fergus
*Picture book  *Humour  *Series  *Dog  *Porcupine  *Buddy story

Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel by Adam Rubin
*Picture book  *Humour  *Sequel  *Paula sqwee-d when she saw this one

A Dog Named Doug by Karma Wilson and Matt Myers
*Picture book  *Great illustrations  *Dogs  *Adventures

How to Feed Your Parents by Ryan Miller
*Picture book  *Humour  *Family  *Food  *Eating habits

The Epic Adventures of Huggie and Stick by Drew Daywalt
*Picture book  *BEST PICK for humour  *Friendship  *Diary  *Odd couple story

Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein
*Picture book  *Humour  *Storytelling  *Parent/child

It's the Troll! by Sally Grindley
*Picture book  *Life-the-flap  *Fairy tale based

Old Hat by Emily Gravett
*Picture book  *Humour  *Fashion  *Self expression

Panda Pants by Jacqueline Davies
*Picture book  *Humour  *Animal story  *Clothes

Sleep, Sheep!  by Kerry Lyn Sparrow
*Picture book   *Humour  *Bedtime story  *Counting sheep  *Fears  *Encouragement

The True Adventures of Esther the Wonder Pig by Steve Jenkins, Derek Walter and Caprice Crane
*Picture book  *Based on true story  *Two dads  *Pig  *Pets

Snowflakes & Unicorns – Interestingly Designed Books

Looking for something to enjoy with your wee one that has flaps or holes or things to look for?  Here is a list of some of the top books we saw for more than just reading.

 ABC: touch, think, learn by Zavier Deneux 

*Primary/Pre-School  *Picture book  *Aphabet book  *Interesting Format

Bee: A peek-through picture book by Britta Teckentrup

*Picture book  *Cut out  *Great illustrations

DinoBlock by Christopher Fanceschelli

*Board Book   *Preschool to Grade 1

Dinosaur: a photicular book by Kathy Wollard, created by Dan Kainen

 *Nonfiction  *3D 

Lift-the-Flap General Knowledge: with over 135 flaps of facts by Usborne

*Grade 2  *Nonfiction  *Interactive  *Trivia  *Natural world  *Human world  *Series

Moon: A peek-through picture book by Britta Teckentrup

*Picture book  *Cut out  *Great illustrations

Owls are good at keeping secrets:  an unusual alphabet by Sarah O’leary

*Picture book  *Personification  *Animal Alphabet  

 

 10 Blue Butterflies: a counting book by Sam Williams

*Primary grades  *Nonfiction  *Counting  *Seek-and-find

Where’s Waldo? The Spectacular Spotlight Search  by Martin Handford

*Screen lighting gadget  *Search and find

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening – Beautiful Picture Books

Sharing a picture book with beautiful illustrations allows you and your child an escape to a magical place or a calm and quiet lake so grab a hot chocolate and wander into new and dazzling worlds.

 Breathe by Scott Magoon

*Primary grades  *Picture book  *Beautiful illustrations  *Poetry  *Calm

In the Red Canoe by Leslie A. Davidson

*Beautiful illustrations  *Picture Book  *Outdoors  *Canadian

The Magician’s Secret by Zachary Hyman, illustrated by Joe Bluhm

*Primary grades  *Picture book  *Grandparents  *Storytelling  *Lovely illustrations  *Adventures  *Imagination

They Say Blue by Jillian Takamki

*Picture book  *Great illustrations  *Award winner

Beginning to Curl Up with a Good Read – Early Chapter Books

Having a brand new reader in the house is always exciting and whether you share the reading or your young reader finds the joy of curling up in a comfy chair by the fire with a new book, early chapters are where it's at.

Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick and David Serlin

*Grade K-3  *Mystery  *Illustrated novel  *Humour  *Graphic novel  *Early reader

Bear Country by Doreen Cronin

*Humour  *Animal story  *Beginning chapter  *Series

Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas by Dav Pilkey

*Gr. 2-5  *Illustrated novel  *Humour  *Graphic novel  *Crime fighter  *Dogs  *Series

The Ice Chips and the Haunted Hurricane by Roy and Kerry MacGregor

*Hockey adventure  *Beginning chapter book  *Series

Lulu is Getting a Sister by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Kevin Cornell

*Gr. 3-6  *Illustrated novel   *Humour  *Family

Peanut Butter and Jelly (A Narwhal and Jelly Book) bu Ben Clanton

*Primary grades  *Novel  *Humour  *Friendship  *Series

The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

*Gr.1-4  *Novel  *Girls  *Action/adventure  *Series  *Science Experiments

Trains, Planes & Automobiles, Literally – Fact books for young transportation specialists

Do you know the names of all the construction vehicles in your neighbourhood?   Does someone recite the name and sound of local dozers from their car seat?  Then this section is for you and your young one.

William Bee’s Wonderful World of Trucks

William Bee’s Wonderful World of Trains and boats and Planes

William Bee’s Wonderful World of Tractors and Farm Machines

*Primary grades  *Picture books  *Nonfiction  *Retro illustrations 

The Big Book of Airplanes

The Big Book of Trains

*Primary grades *Nonfiction  *Good for browsing  *Series