Bugs in My Hair by David Shannon

Not a topic to be taken lightly - here is a wonderful read for the dreaded head lice!

Is something bugging you? Bestselling award-winner David Shannon shows the funny side of waging war against--oh no!--head lice.

This book is guaranteed to make you laugh--and itch! From the opening picture of a happy, oversize louse appearing with his suitcases, you know these bugs are determined to stay, and Mom is about to go nuts!

Nobody talks about them, but they are everywhere. (Some estimate 20 million children a year host them.) Oh the shame and humiliation of having bugs in your hair! But if you go to school, or have play dates, chances are good you might meet them someday. Maybe you already have! Lucky for you, the unwelcome bugs in this story are so funny you will be laughing aloud--even when Mom attacks them with battle-tested anti-lice weapons.

Shannon peppers his hilarious scenes with fun, "nitpicking" facts about these "lousy" critters and pokes fun at common denial: "It's probably ash from that volcano in Pogo Pogo."

Soon the party's over--Bye bye, Little Nasties! Once again Shannon has created a fresh, highly entertaining read-aloud classic that begs to be read again and again.

Here is a fun interview as well with the author - 
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=229472269

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate Di Camillo

Holy unanticipated occurrences! A cynic meets an unlikely superhero in a genre-breaking new novel by master storyteller Kate DiCamillo.

It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart. From #1 New York Times best-selling author Kate DiCamillo comes a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters and featuring an exciting new format — a novel interspersed with comic-style graphic sequences and full-page illustrations, all rendered in black-and-white by up-and-coming artist K. G. Campbell.

Here is the author's website - http://www.katedicamillo.com/

I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love by Nancy Tillman

There are things about you quite unlike any other.
Things always known by your father or mother.
So if you decide to be different one day,
no worries… I’d know you anyway.

Every child is special and unique, but every child also loves to dream of being something different. In I'd Know You Anywhere, My Love, bestselling author and artist Nancy Tillman has created another heartfelt masterpiece celebrating the joys of imagination, and the comfort of always knowing that "you are loved."

The author has a beautiful website - check it out . . . http://nancytillman.com/

Strong Characters . . .

When reading a book, it is so important for children to be able to articulate the traits of a character to make connections between other aspects of the story such as setting, events, problems, etc.  Here are some words to use to generate conversation.

What a great conversation starters with kids? When? Why? How?

I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of 

library. 

Jorge Luis Borges

I was reading the dictionary. I thought it was a poem about everything.  
Steven Wright

Careers , , , I Want to be a Teacher by Daniel Liebman, Dan Liebman

It is never too early to talk about occupations with children.  I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. Maybe it is being the oldest of 4 girls :)  Here are some books and links that might be good for that Labor Day weekend . . . wanting to get the last bit of summer  . . .

Jobs People Do by Christopher Maynard

Jobs People Do is the book for helping children find out all about the careers that interest them.

I want to be a builder, firefighter, veterinarian, paramedic, mechanic, musician...

Here is the book to help me choose. Entertaining text and photographs of real children dressed for each hob help youngsters explore 50 different careers, from chef to scientist. Pages also detail the duties and training required for each one.

What is a Community from A to Z by Bobbie Kalman

This informative book discusses the common aspects shared by most communities - people, culture, government, economy, buildings, services, and transportation. The book highlights different kinds of communities and discusses how the physical features of their location impact on their way of life. It also looks at how communities are interdependent and reminds children that planet Earth is their most important community. Children will also read about:

-- environment
-- family
-- rules
-- zoos and parks

We're Going on a Picnic! by Pat Hutchins

With school about to start and summer coming to an end (well one more month!), we are having a large family and friends picnic this weekend. Here is one title to share . . . It was a perfect day for a picnic. Hen picked the berries, Goose picked the apples, and Duck picked the pears. Then they set out for the picnic. But young viewers will quickly discover that Hen, Goose, and Duck are not the only ones who like berries, apples, and pears! And as the picnic basket gets lighter and lighter, they will be laughing harder and harder. Since the publication of Rosie's Walk in 1968, Pat Hutchins's name has been a household word wherever there are young lookers and listeners.