This Librarian's Quick Picks: Fable Comics

Fable Comics
Edited by Chris Duffy
First Second (Sep. 22, 2015)
Graphic Novel

Summary: 

From classics like "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Grasshopper and the Ants" to obscure gems like "The Frogs Who Desired a King," Fable Comics has something to offer every reader. Twenty-eight fables from different cultures and traditions are wonderfully adapted and illustrated in comics format by twenty-six different cartoonists.

Why You'll Love It:

•  These fables are so sharply drawn and snappily dialogued that returning to their original texts might be a bit of a letdown! 
• Kids will love flipping through the pages and recognizing the trademark styles of their favorite graphic novelists and illustrators. 
• Although most of the fables are of the Aesop variety, a few are pulled from other countries such as Russia and India.

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 3 and up...and here's an awesome lesson plan from the publisher!

What Else You Should Read:

•  Nursery Rhyme Comics: 50 Timeless Rhymes from 50 Celebrated Cartoonists by Chris Duffy
• You Read to Me, I 'll Read to You: Very Short Fables to Read Together by Mary Ann Hoberman 
• Fairy Tale Comics: Classic Tales Told by Extraordinary Cartoonists by Chris Duffy
  
  

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Thomas Jefferson Grows a Nation

Thomas Jefferson Grows a Nation
by Peggy Thomas; illustrated by Stacy Innerst
Calkins Creek (Sep. 8, 2015)
Narrative nonfiction/biography/picture book

Summary:

Examines the life and career of Thomas Jefferson, who in addition to his accomplishments as a politician and president was also talented in the field of agriculture.

Why You'll Love It:

• Illustrator Innerst actually used a quill to hand letter all the quotes. Cool!
• This illustrated biography sheds light on the lesser known episodes of Jefferson's life and presidency, such as his efforts to stimulate European demand for American produce and his concerns about an agricultural pest.
• The final section, "Thomas Today," wisely invites readers to ponder Jefferson's slave ownership. 

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 3-6 (and up!) and here's the educator's guide.

What Else You Should Read:

• Thomas Jefferson: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Everything by Maira Kalman
• Those Rebels, John & Tom by Barbara Kerley
• Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock

This Librarian's Quick Picks: A Handful of Stars

A Handful of Stars
by Cynthia Lord
Scholastic (May 26, 2015)
Realistic Fiction Chapter Book

Summary:

Lily’s lost dog leads to her friendship with Salma, a young migrant who works in the blueberry barrens near Lily’s home. Lily worries Salma will challenge conventions when she enters a local pageant.

Why You'll Love It:

•  Seriously. The cover. This will be a great attention-grabber for kiddos; it will move off the library shelves without too much prodding :)
• This book is also a perfect read-aloud for upper elementary classroom teachers. 
• Lord conveys a great message without being over the top or preachy. The characters embrace each other's differences and really practice empathy.

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 4-6...and here's the book trailer!

What Else You Should Read:

• Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez
• Until I Find Julian by Patricia Reilly Giff
• Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer by Kelly Jones

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Hamster Princess

Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible
by Ursula Vernon
Dial Books (August 18, 2015)
Graphic/fantasy hybrid chapter book

Summary:

Never a conventional princess, Harriet becomes an adventurer after learning she is cursed to fall into a deep sleep on her twelfth birthday, but after two years of slaying ogres, cliff-diving, and more with her riding quail, Mumfrey, things go awry at home and she must seek a prince to set things right. 

Why You'll Love It:

•  Vernon already has a following in our library with the Dragonbreath series, and those kiddos will love Harriet! Also a ready-made booktalk for lovers of Holm's Babymouse graphic novel series. 
• Shifting between prose passages and indigo-tinted cartoon sequences, Vernon upends fairy-tale conventions and gender stereotypes left and right.
• Harriet breaks all the "princess" rules. She's cursed from birth to prick her finger when she's 12 and decides she's got to make the best of it 'till then. There's a great twist that leaves Harriet scrambling to find a prince--not to kiss HER awake, but everyone else in the castle.  

Who Should Read It:

Great for grades 3-5...and here's the book trailer.

What Else You Should Read:

• The Dragonbreath series (also by Ursula Vernon)
• Half Upon a Time by James Riley
• The Babymouse series by Jennifer Holm 

What they're (really) reading: September 2015

photo by Toby Neal

By keeping a pulse on what my kiddos are checking out and keeping a close eye on which books are circulating heavily, I feel that I can spend the small budget I have more wisely by choosing books I know will have a greater likelihood of circulating widely.

Each month I'll feature a few fiction and a few nonfiction books that are on the "heavy rotation" list at our elementary library. They're not necessarily new, shiny, or covered with awards -- they're just what the kids want.

This Month's Selections:

A Big Guy Took My Ball!
by Mo Willems
Early Reader Picture Book

Piggie is upset because a whale took the ball she found, but Gerald finds a solution that pleases all of them. 





Million Dollar Throw
by Mike Lupica
Sports Fiction Chapter Book

Eighth-grade star quarterback Nate Brodie's family is feeling the stress of the troubled economy, and Nate is frantic because his best friend Abby is going blind, so when he gets a chance to win a million dollars if he can complete a pass during the halftime of a New England Patriot's game, he is nearly overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed. 


Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life
by Rachel Renee Russell
Realistic Fiction Chapter Book

Fourteen-year-old Nikki Maxwell writes and sketches in her diary about her struggle to be popular at her exclusive new private school, and about giving up on being part of the elite group, before figuring out a way to simply be herself. 



Amelia's longest, biggest, most-fights-ever family reunion
by Marissa Moss
Realistic Fiction Chapter Book

A fictional, illustrated journal in which eleven-year-old Amelia records her hopes, fears, and impressions while attending a family reunion with her long-estranged dad, and meeting many of his relatives for the first time. 



Greatest rivalries in sports
by Tony Lee
Nonfiction

Sports are unpredictable. They're wacky. They can be totally off-the-wall! This book highlights some of the most memorable tales and traditions from sports history and is brought to life with exciting detail. Informative sidebars offer even more stories.




Fairy Tale Comics
edited by Chris Duffy 
Graphic Novel

From favorites like "Puss in Boots" and "Goldilocks" to obscure gems like "The Boy Who Drew Cats," Fairy Tale Comics has something to offer every reader. Seventeen fairy tales are wonderfully adapted and illustrated in comics format by seventeen different cartoonists, including Raina Telgemeier, Brett Helquist, Cherise Harper, and more.

This Librarian's Quick Picks: Lillian's Right To Vote

Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
by Jonah Winter
illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Schwartz & Wade (July 14, 2015)
Historical fiction picture book

Summary:

As Lillian, one-hundred-years old, walks to the polls, she remembers “the long haul up that steep hill” that her African American ancestors climbed to achieve U.S. voting rights.

Why You'll Love It:

• This powerful historical picture book dovetails very nicely with social studies standards, making it a great pick for both librarians and teachers. 
• An author’s note provides historical context, including information about the woman who inspired Lillian (Lillian Allen, who in 2008 at age 100 voted for Barack Obama).
•  Although the book is a celebration of how far we have come, it also ends with a warning that rights are threatened by a 2013 Supreme Court decision.

Who Should Read It:

Grades 2 and up.

What Else You Should Read:

• Grandaddy's Turn by Michael S. Bandy
• I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Separate is Never Equal by Duncan Tonatiuh