Tammy and Paula's Most Wonderful, Best-Ever, Miracle at the Doucette Holiday Book List 2016

Here’s the pitch…

Want to impress the young folk in your life with an awesome book or two this holiday season?

Want to avoid the disappointed /horrified / mortified looks of these same young people with stunning gaffes with selections like Boy’s Body Book or Golden Girls Forever or A History of Interest Rates (4^th ed.)?

Or perhaps you’re aiming bigger and want to turn them into life-long readers or at least temporarily redirect their attention to something other than social media, their phones or computer games?

Then this list may just get you on your way.

This is our Second Annual Holiday Children’s Book List and it was a blast pulling these titles together. So in anticipation to those of you who like to check in with Paula and myself about what to get for sons, daughters, nieces and nephews, kids of friends, kids with special interests or godchildren, we spent some time at a local bookstore and online to find books that we think will make great gifts.  The titles are linked to the Chapters website for book details, summaries and reviews.

We’ll be publishing our list over the next four days. Books recommended on days 2 to 4 are of mixed grade levels and likely to list both fiction and nonfiction titles.

Here’s the lineup:

Day 1.                   Picture Books & The Subversive Grinch

                              Middle Grade Novels

                              Young Adult Novels

                              Crossovers: Adult Books For Teens

Day 2.                  Seasonal best bets

                              Play, Play, Play (interactive books for all ages)

                              Making and Doing

                              

Day 3.                   Nonfiction

                              Series (all level of readers)

                              Classics
                             Fan fiction

Day 4.                   Pretty Pictures (coffee table books and the like)

                              Kid Books for Supposed Grown-ups

                              Not Our Demographic Or Books That Are Cool Even Though We’re Not

If you are going to invest in books this year for a young person, these suggestions may help you find just what you are looking for.  Spend a few minutes with the list and at the store making someone very happy.

And, of course, have a wonderful holiday break everyone.  

       

Tammy and Paula

DAY 4

Pretty Pictures

For those who love to curl up in a big chair with steamy hot chocolate and take life at a slower pace during the Holiday Season, here are a few books to savour the pictures and the text on a snowy afternoon.

Fairy World: Enter the Magical and Mysterious Realm by Stella A. Caldwell

*Gr. 4-7  *Guidebook *Fairy Realm  *Rich Multimedia  *Good Gift Book

Magnificent Magical Beasts: Inside their Secret World by Simon Holland, David Wyatt, Kev Walker and Gary Blythe

*Gr. 5 & up  *Guidebook  *Vivid Illustrations  *Dragons  *Unicorns  *Werewolves

Gods, Heroes and Monsters: Discover the Wonders of theAncient Greek Myths by Selene Nicolaides

*Gr. 5 & up  *CGI Artwork  *Facts, Stories  *History  *Mythology

Sketchy Stories: The Sketchbook Art of Kerby Rosanes

*Young Adult  *Doodle Art  *Graphic Design  *Inspiration  *Technique

Puppyhood:  Life-Size Portraits of Puppies at 6 Weeks Old by J. Nicole Smith

*All Ages  *Too Cute for Words  *Title Says it All

Hyper Nature by Philippe Martin

*All Ages  *Nature  *Animals *Insects  *Plants

Nat Geo: The Most Popular Instagram Photos

*All Ages  *Photographs  *2016  *#Hashtag  *Nature  *People  *Animals

Not Our Demographic OR 

Books That are Cool Even Though We Are Not! 

Okay, we work in a library and we work with Education students who love picture books and middle grade novels and even the dystopia that is YA but here is the category that is a bit beyond our comfort zone.  Do you remember the Bay City Rollers, The Monkees, Boys to Men, The Back Street Boys?  We do but we choose to always, categorically deny it.  Here are those books that are the treasure of the preteen and teenage fan with names we do not recognize but we guarantee that if you recognize one name on this list, you should have that book under the tree.  You would be a hero!

Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance bySimone Biles

*Gr. 6 & up  *Olympics  *Gold Medalist  *Gymnastics  *Sports

Z or Zayn by Zayn Malik

*Young Adult  *Cutie Patootie  *1D (One Direction)  *Music  *Memoir

Stay Golden by Lucky Blue Smith

*Young Adult  *Cutie Patootie  *Biography  *Fashion Model

Nasty Galaxy  by Sophia Amoruso

*Young Adult  *Social Media  *Entrepreneur  *EBay Vintage Clothing   *Nasty Girl ™

G.L.G. (Good Looking Guys) that Teens Follow on Social Media

(but we don't know from a hole in the wall…)

Matty B.: That’s a Rap with Travis Thrasher

*Young Adult  *3 Billion YouTube Views!  *Social Media

A Work in Progress by Connor Franta

*Young Adult  *Social Media  *YouTube Personality

Jack and Jack: You Don’t Know Jacks by Jack Gilinsky and Jack Johnson

*Young Adult  * Vine  *YouTube  *Social Media

Follow Me by Ricky Dillon

*Young Adult  *Social Media  *YouTube Personality

Don’t Try This at Home by Kian Lawley and JC Caylen

*Young Adult  *Social Media  *YouTube Personality

 Kid Books for Adults

Do you ever find that feeling of really enjoying a picture book 

even though you are a mature adult who doesn’t DO picture books any more?  Here are a couple of books, we think you might enjoy.

A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers

*Classics  *Retrospective

Teacup by Rebecca Young and Matt Ottley

*Beautiful  *Sentimental  

A Poem for Peter: The Story of Ezra Jack Keats and the Creation of the Snowy Day by Andrea Pinkney

*Beautiful Illustrations  *Writers and Writing  *Biography  *Race Issues  *Poem

DAY 3

Harkening to the olden days (Classics)

We all have favorites that we remember fondly from our childhoods and would love to share with the young folks in our lives.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett; illustrated by Inga Moore

*Gr. 5 and up *Orphans *Friendship *Beautiful illustrations

The Best Bear in All the World by Jeanne Willis, Kate Saunders, Brian Sibley, Paul Bright; illustrated by MarkBurgess

*Gr. 2 and up *Sequel to Winnie-the-Pooh stories *Pair with Finding Winnie (Caldecott winner)

Fan Fiction – For the Groupie in All of Us

If someone mentions a favorite author doesn’t it make your heart race, maybe just a little? Or maybe want you go ‘sqweee’ and then gush about how much you love said author? Just be prepared if you ask Paula about Bunjitsu Bunny. Fair warning… Sqweeee....

The Darkest Dark by Chris Hadfield

*Gr. K-3 *Picture book *Facing fears * Bedtime *Passions

Where’s Waldo: the Wonder Book,Deluxe Edition by Martin Handford

*Gr.2 and up  *Interactive *Games

Bunjitsu Bunny Jumps to the Moon by John Himmelman

*Gr.2-5 *Humour *Life

Ramona series by Beverly Cleary

*Gr.3-7 *Growing up * Family * Read alouds *Humour *Classics

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

*Gr. 8 and up * Fantasy *Death *Futurist world

Lady Midnight: The Dark Artifices,Book One (Shadowhunter’s novel) by Cassandra Clare

*Gr. 9 and up *Fantasy *Romance *Series *Great cover

More, Please (Series)

Well, this kinda goes with Fan Fiction. For those of us who like to return to wonderful places and visit with ‘old friends’ finding a series to get immersed in, is the way to go. Let me introduce you to a few wonderful characters and their worlds…

Picture books

Jon Klassen trilogy: I Want My Hat Back; This is Not My Hat; and We Found a Hat(2016)

*Gr. 1-6 *Dark humour *Hats *Animals *Fantastic illustrations

Aaron Becker trilogy: Journey; Quest; and Return (2016)

*Gr. K-4 *Wordless *Adventures *Imagination *Friendship *Fathers and daughters

 Tedd Arnold: Fly Guy series: Fly Guy’s Ninja Christmas (2016)

*Gr. 1-3 *Chapter book *Picture book *Humour *Boy book *Insects

Novels

Doreen Cronin: The Chicken Squad Misadventures:  The Case of the Weird Blue Chicken (2016)

*Gr. 2-5 *Humour *Detectives (sort of) *Poultry *Hounds *Fun

Sara Pennypacker: Clementine series: Completely Clementine (2016)

*Gr.2-4 *Family *Everyday stuff *Humour

Lenore Look: Alvin Ho series: Allergic to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Other Tourist Attractions (2015)

*Gr.2-5 *Family *School *Fear *Anxiety *Humour

Catherynne M. Valente : Fairyland series: The Boy Who Lost Fairyland (2016);  The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All the Way Home (2017)

*Gr.4-7 *Fantasy *Adventures *Fairies

Lucy and Stephen Hawking: George’s science series: George and the Unbreakable Code

*Gr. 4-7 *Yes, that Stephen Hawking *Science *Space *Universe *Illustrated *Humour

Kazu Kibuishi: Amulet series:Firelight (2016)

*Gr.4 and up *Graphic novel *Fantasy *Adventure *Strong female

Daniel Kraus: The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch, Vol.1 At the Edge of the Empire, Vol.2 Empire Decayed

*Gr.9 and up * World Wars *American history *Fantasy *Humour *Second chances *Great cover

Michael Grant: Soldier Girl series:Frontlines #1

*Gr. 9 and up *Alternate history *WW Ii *Girl soldiers *Epic

Colleen Houck: Reawakened series: Recreated (2016)

*Gr.9 and up *Time travel *Ancient Egypt * Adventure *Fantasy *Romance *Great cover

Rae Carson: The Gold Seer Trilogy: Walk on Earth a Stranger

*Gr.9 and up *Fantasy *Historical *Magic

Just the Facts

Not everyone loves a great fiction story.  Some may love a great true story and here is a list for just such people on your list.  From dinosaurs to social media world record holders, we have something for everyone…

Prehistoric Predators by Brian Switek, illustrated by Julius Csotonyi

*Gr. 1 & up  *Dinosaurs  

Give and Take by Lucie Felix

*Preschool – Gr. 1  *Die cut Shapes  *Interactive  *Opposites  *Manipulatives

Creaturepedia: Welcome to the Greatest Show on Earth byAdrienne Barman

*Gr. 1-4  *600 Animals  *40 Categories  *Some Mythical  *Misc. Info  *Browsing

New Way Things Work by David Macaulay

*Gr.4 & up  *Science  *Inventors  *History  *Updated  *Technology  *Computer Technology

Life-Size Birds by Nancy J. Hajeski

*Gr. 5 & up  *Birds – North American  *Nature  *Scaled Photography  *Fun Facts  *Bird Guide

Unfolding Journeys: Amazon Adventure Frieze by Lonely Planet Kids and Stewart Ross

*Gr. 5 & up  *History and Landscape  *Interactive  *Lonely Planet Book  *Maps  *Nature  *City  *Fascinating Facts

Illusionology: The Secret Science of Magic by Albert D.Schafer

*Gr. 5 & up  *Magic and Magicians  *Boy Book  *Interactive  *3D pop-ups  *Tricks

Best and Buzz Worthy 2017 World Records, Trending Topics,and Viral Moments

*Gr. 5 & up  *Trivia

The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation)by Daniel James Brown

*Gr. 7 & up  *History  *Berlin Olympics  *Rowing  *True Story  *Sports  *Underdogs

New Scientist The Origin of (Almost) Everything by New Scientist and Graham Lawton

*Crossover  *Science  *Universe  *Life  *Invention  *Knowledge  *Civilization

Mars: A New View of the Red Planet by Giles Sparrow

*Crossover  *Exploring  *Solar System  *History  *Space  *Planets  *Science

DAY 2

Seasonal Best Bets

Not necessarily for Christmas but more to get into that winter mindset of snow days, hockey, and, perhaps, a little romance to keep us warm …

Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

*Preschool – Gr. 3  *Classic  *Play  *Winter  *Red Hooded Coats

Before Morning by Joyce Sidman

*K- Grade 2  *Winter  *Snow Day  *Beautiful Illustrations

Snow by Sam Usher

*Gr. 1-3  *Humour  *Grandparent  *Snow Day  *Play  *Animals

The Most Perfect Snowman by Chris Britt

*Preschool – Gr. 2  *Winter  *Giving  *Empathy  *Generosity  *Animals

A Porcupine in a Pine Tree; Dashing Through the Snow; andDeck the Halls by Helaine Becker

*Gr. 1-6  *Christmas  *Songs  *Canadiana  *Humour  *Animals

 

The Hockey Song by Tom Connors, illustrated by GaryClement  and The Hockey Sweater (30thAnniversary Edition) by Roch Carrier

*Preschool – Gr. 5  *Songs  *Hockey  *Canadian  *Classics

The Poet’s Dog by Patricia MacLachlan

*Gr. 1-6  *Novels  *Dogs  *Humour  *Magic *Read Aloud

The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

*Gr. 10 and up  *Dual Voices  *Sequel  *Contemporary  *Romance  *Humour  

Making and Doing

For those people who love to have a book under the tree but love, also, to do, not just read.  This list of books with have you making and doing as a family or as individuals clear into the New Year. 

365 Things to Do with Lego Bricks

*All Ages  *LEGO  *Enough Said

Oh, Ick! 114 Experiments Guaranteed to Gross You Out! By JoyMasoff

*Gr. 3-6  *Boy Book  *Science

Project Kid: Crafts that Go by Amanda Kingloff

*Gr. 3-7  *Family Activity Books  *Transportation  *Things that Move

Smithsonian Maker Lab by Jack Challoner

*Gr. 3-7  *Family Activity Book  *Science  *Easy, Medium, Hard Rating

Art Play by Marion Deuchars

*Gr. 3-7  *Art Activities

Let’s Make Some Great Art by Marion Deuchars

*Gr. 7/8 & up  *Drawing  *Artist Based Masterpieces

Thug Kitchen 101 by Thug Kitchen

*Young Adult  *Cookbook  *Humour  *Healthy Eating  *Kickass Kitchen Primer

1000 Steampunk Creations: Neo-Victorian Fashion, Gear andArt by Dr. Grymm and Barbe Saint John

*Young Adult  *Crafts  *Hobbies  *Sewing  *Steampunk

  

The Puzzle Universe: A History of Mathematics in 315 Puzzlesby Ivan Moscovich

*Crossover  *Puzzles  *Mathematics  *Problem-Solving  *Illusions  *Paradoxes

 
 Play, Play, Play

Play, Play, Play is a category that engages those on your list who like to interact with what they read.  Our favourite book from this year’s list is here and we both, immediately thought how much most kids (and some adults) would love this book.  Look at the YouTube video of Illuminature to see what we mean.  Giving one of these books is an ongoing conversation with the person who gets it about what they find out.

Illuminature by Carnovsky, written by Rachel Williams

*All Ages  *YouTube Video  *Animals  *Habitats  *Special Effects  *T&P Favourite

Where’s Warhol? By Catherine Ingram and Andrew Rae

*All Ages  *Art Masterpieces  *Game Book  *See also Fan Fiction – Where’s Waldo

Utterly Amazing Dinosaur by DK (pop-ups and such)

*Gr. 1-5  *Fossils  *Flaps  *Games  *Activities

The Ultimate Book of Space with 40 flaps, pop-ups, pull tabsand more! By Anne-Sophie Baumann

*Gr. 1-5  *Facts  *Universe  *Space 

Leonardo da Vinci by Jasper Bark

*Gr. 5-8  *Illustrated Journal  *Technology Inventions  *3D Model Building  *History

Spyology:  TheComplete Book of Spycraft by Spencer Blake and Dugald A. Steer

*Gr. 5-9  *Codes  *Puzzles  *Spies and Spying

My Wonderful World of Fashion: a Book for Drawing, Creatingand Dreaming by Nina Chakrabarti

*Young Adult  *Art  *Colouring Book  *Fashion Designing

DAY 1

Picture Books – PreK – Grade 3

 We both love reading picture books and funny picture books are our favourites.  We have tried to find something that appeals to most picture book buyers like grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles but there is a definite bias that Storytime should be fun as well.

They All Saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel

*Senses  *Imaginative Thinking  *Animals *Perspectives

More Blueberries by Susan Musgrave

*Rhyming Text  *Exuberant  *Eating   *Read Aloud

Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie

*Read Aloud  *Identity  *Father and Son

Little You by Richard Van Camp

*Baby Board Book  *Canadian

Everyone is Yawning by Anita Bijsterbosch

*Flaps  *Bedtime  *Animals

Secret Agent Man Goes Shopping for Shoes by Tim Wynn-Jones

*Canadian  *International Intrigue  *Humour  *Boy Book

Superhero: Instructional Manual by Kristy Dempsey

*Boy Book  *Humour

Bear and Hare Series of Books by Emily Gravett

*Buddy Books  *Humour  *Read aloud 

Boy and Bot by Ame Dyckman and Dan Yaccarino

*Friendship  *Caring  *Read Aloud

Are We There Yet? By Dan Santat

*Humour  *Dinosaurs  *Pirates  *Knights  *Family Road Trip

My Favorite Pets by Gus W. For Ms. Smolinski’s Class byJeanne Birdsall  and Henry Bliss

*Humour  *Read Aloud  *Pets  *Sheep *Baby Brother

Goodnight Songs by Margaret Wise Brown

*Grandparent  *Gift Book

Subversive Grinch in Picture Books

Not necessarily the usual picture book fare – Are the sweet, sentimental, nicey-nice stories getting to you over the holidays? Give these a try to cleanse your palate. Good fun with a bit of a bite.

Naughty Mabel Sees It All by Nathan Lane

*Humour *Over-the-top funny *Nathan Lane people!!! *Dogs *Friendship

Penguin Problems by Jory John & Lane Smith

*Kids books for adults *Humour *Life lessons *Perspectives

Baa Baa Smart Sheep by Mark Sommerset

*Snort - Humour- Snort *Animals *Tricksters *Gags *Fecal matter

Middle Grade – Upper Elementary/Junior High 

– Grades 5 to 8 or 9 Novels

How do we choose just a few to post this year.  This category is always rich with plenty of good reading in a variety of genres.  Pick a book that fits the reader in your life.

The One and Only Ivan (Full Color Collector’s Edition) byKatherine Applegate

*Gr. 3-7  *Beautifully Illustrated  *Animals  *Newberry Award Winner  *Read Aloud

Snow White: a graphic novel by Matt Phelan 

*Gr. 4-8  *New York City  *Fairy Tale Re-Telling  *Graphic Novel  *No Dwarfs *Art Deco

Gertie’s Leap to Greatness by Kate Beasley

*Gr. 3/4 – 6  *Identity  *Contemporary  *Family  *Humour  *Strong Female *Read Aloud

John Baxter Levels Up by Gavin Brown

*Gr. 3-6  *Video Gaming  *Contemporary  *New Kid at School  *School Dynamics

Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi

*Gr. 5-7  *Modern Day Fairy Tale  *Magic  *Fantasy  *Awesome Writing

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

*Gr. 3-6  *Read Aloud  *Robots  *Survival Story  *Deserted Island  *Illustrated

Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart

*Gr. 5 and up  *Family Secrets  *Magic  *Humour  *Mystery  *Adventure

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

*Gr. 4-7  *Animals  *War  *Friendship

One Half from the East by Nadia Hashimi

*Gr. 4-8  *Gender Issues  *Contemporary  *Afghanistan  *Breadwinner Read Alike

The Apple Tart of Hope by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

*Gr. 6-8  *Mystery  *Contemporary  *Friendship/Romance  *Disappearances

Secret of Goldenrod by Jane O’Reilly

*Gr. 5-8  *Mystery  *Suspense  *Family Dynamics  *Identity  *Strong Female

YA – Young Adult – Teens – High School Novels

We tried. We really, really did try to find lots of light-of-heart, quirky, comedic novels for this age group.

BUT— there just seem to so many more titles that are intense, dramatic, about teens who come from dysfunctional families or are struggling to figure out their identities and their place in the world.  But then again, who isn’t in this crazy Trumptonia POTUS-in-waiting, world? Just saying…

The Reader by Traci Chee

*Gr. 8 and up *fantasy *strong female *adventure * world-building *pirates

Girl Mans Up by M.E. Girard

*Gr. 9 and up *contemporary *gender issues *identity *gaming *romance

Julian by William Bell

*Gr. 8 and up * contemporary *mystery *romance *identity *Canadian author

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

*Gr.10 and up *psychological thriller *murder mystery *multimedia format

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst

*Gr. 8 and up * fantasy *LGBTQ *murder, mayhem, magic + horses *romance

Replica by Lauren Oliver

*Gr.8 and up *science fiction *flip book (2 stories) * human replicas (think Westworld) *identity

Boy Robot by Simon Curtis

*Gr. 10 and up * science fiction *robots (duh) *futurist world *identity *love vs. fear

Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer

*Gr. 10 and up *humour *contemporary *escapades *spontaneous combustion

The Beginning of Everything:everyone gets a tragedy by Robyn Schneider

*Gr. 9 and up *contemporary * romance * identity *second chance *tragic ending

Passenger by Alexander Bracken

*Gr. 9 and up *sea adventure *romance *dystopia * time travel *music *great cover

The Loose Ends List: a novel of firsts and lasts by Carrie Firestone

*Gr. 9 and up * contemporary *family *travel *summer of love and loss (but not necessarily in that order)

Writer’s block at the starting gate

I’m starting today’s post with a, “When I was in school...” story.

When I was in school, I dreaded hearing the teacher tell the class that today was the day we were going to write a story. That we’d use our imaginations to write stories about fabulous places and interesting characters doing who knows what. No sooner were the words spoken and I was panicking because every thought I might have had was gone.

Blank. Zip. Nada.

But maybe if I’d been given an idea to start with, say an open ended scenario, a stimulating

picture, a pertinent or perplexing prompt then maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t have felt so lost.

Once Upon a Line by Wallace Edwards is one such book to provide story starters for struggling writers. It has a clever premise that every story begins with “Once upon a line”, line referring to the first sentence of the story as well as a physical line used in illustrating this picture book. Wallace presents the reader with the challenge of finding a very particular shaped line that is found in each illustration. (See image below.) I did find this challenging. Kids might like this component more than I did.

But I can see this book being particularly useful as a classroom tool for getting students to come up with some pretty intriguing stories. The format is a one page illustration, captioned with “Once upon a line,” and then an open ended statement that connects to the illustrations and needs to be finished by the reader.

For example, “Once upon a line, there was a knight who was allergic to horses. This was not a problem because…” is paired with an illustration of a trio of medieval knights riding into battle (maybe?) but one of them is sitting on an octopus.

Or

“Once upon a line, Captain Kurd grew eager to sight land. If he didn’t find land soon, he was going to have to…” which shows a small boat with two mice holding musical instruments and the captain who happens to be a chunk of cheese searching for land using his eyeglass.

The illustrations are nicely composed with fanciful and sometimes humorous images that will help struggling writers construct their stories.  Still, lots is left for the imagination to get a work out but the pressure for creating the original idea is eliminated.

Other picture books to check out for story starters are:

Fish on a Walk by Eva Muggenthaler (lots of surreal images and only two word prompts to get a story started)

Breakfast on a Dragon’s Tail by Martin Springett (interesting illustrations with a good chuck of a story provided and a couple of questions to help spark ideas) and finally,

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg (my personal favorite, a classic picture book with a single super realistic, surreal illustration and only a single sentence to spark the reader’s curiosity.)

I’d recommend these books for upper elementary and into junior high.

If it’s broke…keep on breaking…

In last week’s post, I recommended a book I thought would be a great fit in an elementary, STEM classroom.  This week I have another book that would also work well in a STEM or STEAM classroom but would work across many grade levels.

Things Come Apart by Todd McLellan falls into the coffee table book category because the photographs are so provocative and will appeal to a wide range of ages.  The premise of the book is looking at all the parts of everyday appliances, mechanical devices and constructed objects. For example, let’s say you’re keen to know about the inner workings of a mechanical pencil or a 1928 mantel clock or a 1964 Smith-Corona typewriter or a 1912 upright piano or a 2002 iPod 2 or a 2012 two-seater light aircraft (you get the idea, a range of things over several decades) or what it’s made of, then this book is for you.

All of these devices (plus 44 others) are entirely disassembled by the author. Every single piece, from the smallest screw to the largest casings are included and arranged in very attractive layouts (my favourite is the 1960s accordion) on one page and with a corresponding page showing all the parts falling through the air.  The piano and airplane are the exceptions and have pull out spreads to show us the entirety of their discombobulated glory.

So what’s the value of this?

In the field of education, you may have become aware of the Maker Movement. It’s all about getting children back to using their hands to create things both low and higher tech. (Think origami paper cranes to clothes that are programmed to light-up.) But if you think about creating something or exploring an idea then it’s sometimes really useful to think what the opposite of this thing, idea or process is (in this case, deconstructing) as a way to develop a different understanding of the object, idea or process.

(If you’re keen to read more about the Maker Movement go to Paula Hollohan’s blog, Doucette Ed Tech to see additional resources and information.)

Included are five essays by experts in various fields who explore the idea of taking things a part or putting them together or how repairing, reusing or repurposing objects touch on sustainability issues. These essays are more for an adult level or senior high level student.

So, go grab those old toasters, computer printers and TVs that are sitting idly in your basement or garage. Let a new journey begin with loosening a screw or two. What are you waiting for?

Live and learn - wool sweaters can shrink in the wash.

Though Funny Machines for George the Sheep by Geraldine Elschner and Remi Saillard is a book to introduce elementary students to the genius and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, it is one with potential for more than just that.

First, meet George.  He’s a sheep.  He’s a sheep with a problem. His problem is shrinking to the size of a mouse every time he gets wet when it rains. When the sun comes out – phfff! – he’s big again.  Leo, the shepherd, resolves to find a solution to help George with his problem.

After stocking up on the various implements he needs to begin designing his new invention, we see Leo’s struggle to come up with a device that will help George. Eventually he settles on an umbrella shaped like a tall pyramid. Great design but there’s a flaw.

The first big gust of wind to come along whisks poor, old George off into the wild blue yonder. Seemingly unperturbed, George enjoys his aeriel view of the countryside and better still, the image of a pretty female sheep composed of fluffy clouds.

And, Leo?  He’s back at the drawing board looking for a way to find his lost, high-flying sheep.

The devices or machines that Leo devises are all based on Leonardo da Vinci’s designs which we can learn more about from the back of the book. Included are the self-propelled car, the army tank, the ornithopter, the paddleboat and the pyramidal parachute. Additional information is included about da Vinci, his genius and his inventions.

The book itself is OK. It’s been translated from French which I think accounts for some of the clunkiness. The ending is pretty abrupt with no resolution other than Leo happily dreaming up some invention to help him find George with oddly, no sense of urgency. I guess George will be found all in good time. I like the cartoony illustrations which have a European flavor and depict a landscape that remind me of paintings of northern Europe – Holland or northern France, maybe. 

What I really like about this book is it's potential in a STEM classroom as a way to introduce the concept of design thinking, innovation, problem solving, and perseverance.

In design thinking there are five stages of development starting with fully understanding the problem (empathy). Leo is in a position to learn all about George’s problem and why it needs to be fixed.  The second stage is defining the problem more fully leading to step three where the designer begins coming up with ideas, all sorts of ideas with no limitations (the crazier the better) that might begin to address the problem.  These two stages are represented in the book as Leo begins working out and drawing up plans for different machines. The last stages are more concrete, as a prototype is constructed and then further refined as the designer gets feedback on the suitability of the final product.

Does Leo construct a device for George that works at keeping him dry? We never do find out as George remains missing in action and the book ends. But this provides an opportunity to have your students take up the challenge and come up with their own solutions to prevent George from shrinking every time it rains.

If you’re interested in learning more about design thinking visit the Doucette Library’s library subject guide. Also, visit the blog Doucette Ed Tech written by my colleague, Paula Hollohan. I’ve linked to the tag for design thinking.

Odd Octopus Out …and Bob

Today’s post is all about acceptance and finding one’s true self.

And me wondering, “What’s with octopuses?”

Not that I’m against octopuses. In fact, my fascination with giant squids has extended to octopuses after reading a very interesting book last summer called, The Soul of An Octopus by Sy Montgomery. (She’s also the author of many of books in the series, Scientists in the Field, a fantastic series worth checking out.) 

Cephalopods rock!

Anyways…

Let’s start with Hello, My Name is Octicorn by Kevin Diller and Justin Lowe. In this book, we meet Octi. Octi is half unicorn and half octopus. A rare breed, indeed. And he has a difficult time fitting in but really, really wants a friend. He has so much to offer, too: tons-o- fun at parties, excellent at juggling and various sports especially swimming, light on his tentacles when he hits the dance floor and an exceptional hugger. Things to know about octicorns include: how much they love s’mores, recess, and the colour blue as well as cupcakes (because who doesn’t like cupcakes?).

The humour comes across in the illustrations particularly well with simple blackline drawings on white pages. Some of my favourites include Octi break dancing and spinning on his horn; Octi toasting a s’more over a campfire also speared onto his horn; and Octi’s tentacles entangled around the bars of a merry-go-round. The book is a gentle exploration of how differences, whether in looks or interests, shouldn’t be impediments to making friends. The book ends with Octi inviting the reader to be his friend and he eagerly awaits our reply.

Then there’s The Octopuppy by Martin McKenna. 

“Edgar wanted a dog. But Edgar didn’t get a dog. He got Jarvis.”

And Jarvis is an octopus which was major disappointment, to say the least.

But Jarvis can do so much more than a dog. He’s multi-talented and exceptional in a multitude of ways and so, so eager to please Edgar.

But what he can’t do is ‘be a dog’ and after disappointing Edgar once too often Jarvis decides to run away from home or should I say ‘flush-away’ from home.

And this is exactly the moment when Edgar realizes how much more Jarvis has to offer than a dog. Why, he’ll rescue a kitten stranded high in a tree instead of chasing it; he prefers smelling roses to smelling poop; and he’s more likely to create a delicious meal rather than make-off with your food.

“He’s the best OCTOPUPPY in the world!”

Edgar then searches high and low and is finally able to get the word out about how sorry he is and desperately wants Jarvis to please come home.

Jarvis is not an octopuppy to hold a grudge and home he comes to be reunited with Edgar and live happily-ever-after.

I loved it for its premise and the colourful, zany illustrations. This one is just so much fun.

And then there’s Bob.

Bob, the Artist by Marion Denchars is about a bird who is teased about his super, skinny legs. He tries to fit in by trying to make them bigger but it’s just not possible. Rather despondent,he goes for a long walk and passes by an art gallery. He goes in and is---

INSPIRED!

 After viewing many beautiful, colourful and patterned pieces of art he realizes that this will be the answer to his problems. He will paint his beak in beautiful patterns like Matisse or Jackson Pollock. And those who had mocked him for his skinny legs? Well, they are so impressed with Bob’s talent that they change their tune to one of praise and admiration. Bob no longer worries about his legs and comes to feel more comfortable in his own skin confident enough to be who he really is.

The illustrations work well with the narrative with a crow-like Bob strikingly displayed on mostly white backgrounds. The font is loose and splashy (maybe done by hand?) that adds to the overall appeal of the books.

I recommend all three books for Kindergarten to grade 3.

 And look forward to seeing more octopuses in picture books.