The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster; illustrated by Jules Feiffer Celebrating its 50th anniversary, The Phantom Tollbooth is still popular with tween readers because it is creative, funny, and original; it also has a timeless quality. The story begins with a bored Milo returning home from school to an empty house, where he finds a [...]
Magic Books & Paper Toys by Esther K. Smith One of the best parts of being a Children’s Librarian is planning and doing crafts. We’re just finishing the fall session of Picture Books and More: Sharks, Mermaids and High Seas Adventures. It is one of my favorite parts of the year–with first and second graders, [...]
The Baby Beebee Bird by Diane Redfield Massie; illustrated by Steven Kellogg I used to think that doing a library story time was pretty easy – you pick a few books, sit on a stool and read them to the kids. That was before I had done one. There is an art to recognizing a [...]
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf; illustrated by Robert Lawson Published in 1936, the story of the little bull still resonates with me as he leaps and snorts around the pasture after sitting on a bee. The little bull proved to be a peace-lover and refused to battle in the bull ring, preferring to [...]
The Adventures of Ook & Gluk: Kung-fu Caveman from the Future by Dav Pilkey My goal is to keep my seven-year-old son hooked on reading. He’s just learning the power of the written word; so when he handed me a note one morning before I headed to the library that read “Ook and Gluk now!” [...]
Most of us do not think about disasters until they strike. A severe or heavy rainstorm, coupled with a high tide, can quickly turn Miller Avenue, Camino Alto, and the Manzanita Park and Ride into lakes. A low snow level paired with several freezing days can bring snow to Mount Tamalpais. Mix high temperatures with [...]
The Wikkeling by Steve Arntson; illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini The cover of The Wikkeling is an attention grabber: the brick red, faux cloth binding is imprinted with the silhouettes of three children being menaced by what looks like a tall, skinny man with stretched out fingers, while the book’s title dribbles down the front [...]
Get ready for an original and highly entertaining romp through Fforde’s latest book, Shades of Grey. In Jasper Fforde’s world a person’s status in society is determined by which color they see. People who see purple are the highest in society, followed by blue, green, yellow, orange and red. Those that see grey are considered [...]
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