Home for Christmas by Jan Brett

     "In May of 2010 my husband Joe and I traveled to Sweden to see where Rollo, my runaway troll, might live.  My favorite visit was to Kiruna, the jumping off place to Sweden's Arctic North.  Might it be because it was there that I met my Moose family?
     "I had left home without deciding whether Rollo would join a reindeer family or a moose family.   On a farm we met five adult moose in the calf.  As they ambled toward us, I could see their long, familiar comic noses.  But when they got close, I was drawn to their intelligent eyes and majestic presence with their long bridled northern fur coats, black cloven hosts and elegant palmate antlers.  It was spring, and the moose were as affectionate as horses.  I even managed to get a big kiss on their velvety cushiony noses.
     "Needless to say, I've fallen for these endearing creatures and can hardly wait to get home so they would join Rollo and my illustrations re-creating the elegant landscapes of the flora and fauna we saw in Sweden."

One of my favorites!

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Bern

 

Wow!  A boy rides a bicycle down a dusty road. But in his mind, he envisions himself traveling at a speed beyond imagining, on a beam of light. This brilliant mind will one day offer up some of the most revolutionary ideas ever conceived. From a boy endlessly fascinated by the wonders around him, Albert Einstein ultimately grows into a man of genius recognized the world over for profoundly illuminating our understanding of the universe. Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Radunsky invite the reader to travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. Parents and children alike will appreciate this moving story of the powerful difference imagination can make in any life.

A great read for using biography and cross curricular with other areas.  Check it out!

The Deep and Snowy Wood by E. Tate

A deer, a squirrel and a mole know a secret.! They know that once a year a very special person plays a brief visit to the Deep and Snowy Wood. Who could this special person be?  

Journey with all the animals as they travel through a beautiful winter wonderland.

 

A read aloud . . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R11tr6yarYg

Read Alouds

I love reading aloud to anyone, particularly children.  As a matter of fact, a colleague and I created an entire graduate level course focused around teaching children to read independently using reading aloud as the vehicle. The course was wonderfully successful and we taught it for almost 10 years.  Timeless.

Here are some online sites for your readers . . .
http://www.readtomelv.com/

http://www.mightybook.com/MightyBook_free/Free_Stories_and_Songs.html

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/u/online-storytime-books-toys/379003588/

The Theater Will Rock by Elizabeth L. Wollman

The tumultuous decade of the 1960s in America gave birth to many new ideas and forms of expression, among them the rock musical. An unlikely offspring of the performing arts, the rock musical appeared when two highly distinctive and American art forms joined onstage in New York City. The Theater Will Rock explores the history of the rock musical, which has since evolved to become one of the most important cultural influences on American musical theater and a major cultural export. Packed with candid commentary by members of New York's vibrant theater community, The Theater Will Rock traces the rock musical's evolution over nearly fifty years, in popular productions such as Hair, The Who's Tommy, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Little Shop of Horrors, Rent, and Mamma Mia!---and in notable flops such as The Capeman.   "A much-needed study of the impact of rock music on the musical theater and its resulting challenges, complexities, failures, and successes. Anyone interested in Broadway will learn a great deal from this book."
---William Everett, author of The Musical: A Research Guide to Musical Theatre   "This well-written account puts the highs and lows of producing staged rock musicals in New York City into perspective and is well worth reading for the depth of insight it provides."
---Studies in Musical Theatre
Elizabeth L. Wollman is Assistant Professor of Music at Baruch College, City University of New York.

Middle School play based on the book -

Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff

Printz Award-winning author Meg Rosoff's latest novel is a gorgeous and unforgettable page-turner about the relationship between parents and children, love and loss.

Mila has an exceptional talent for reading a room—sensing hidden facts and unspoken emotions from clues that others overlook. So when her father’s best friend, Matthew, goes missing from his upstate New York home, Mila and her beloved father travel from London to find him. She collects information about Matthew from his belongings, from his wife and baby, from the dog he left behind and from the ghosts of his past—slowly piecing together the story everyone else has missed. But just when she’s closest to solving the mystery, a shocking betrayal calls into question her trust in the one person she thought she could read best. 
 

The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers

The World According to Mister Rogers Quotes (showing 1-24 of 24)

“Part of the problem with the word 'disabilities' is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted. But what of people who can't feel? Or talk about their feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways? What of people who aren't able to form close and strong relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in disappointment and bitterness and find in life no joy, no love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities.”
― Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember

 

An interview - http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1457796 

Boxers & Saints Boxed Set by Gene Luen Yang

One of the greatest comics storytellers alive brings all his formidable talents to bear in this astonishing new work.

In two volumes, Boxers & Saints tells two parallel stories. The first is of Little Bao, a Chinese peasant boy whose village is abused and plundered by Westerners claiming the role of missionaries. Little Bao, inspired by visions of the Chinese gods, joins a violent uprising against the Western interlopers. Against all odds, their grass-roots rebellion is successful.

But in the second volume, Yang lays out the opposite side of the conflict. A girl whose village has no place for her is taken in by Christian missionaries and finds, for the first time, a home with them. As the Boxer Rebellion gains momentum, Vibiana must decide whether to abandon her Christian friends or to commit herself fully to Christianity.

Boxers & Saints is one of the most ambitious graphic novels First Second has ever published. It offers a penetrating insight into not only one of the most controversial episodes of modern Chinese history, but into the very core of our human nature. Gene Luen Yang is rightly called a master of the comics form, and this book will cement that reputation.

This boxed set includes the trade paperback Boxers as well as the trade paperback Saints, packaged together in one slipcase.

Far Far Away by Tom McNeal,

It says quite a lot about Jeremy Johnson Johnson that the strangest thing about him isn't even the fact his mother and father both had the same last name. Jeremy once admitted he's able to hear voices, and the townspeople of Never Better have treated him like an outsider since. 

After his mother left, his father became a recluse, and it's been up to Jeremy to support the family. But it hasn't been up to Jeremy alone. The truth is, Jeremy can hear voices. Or, specifically, one voice: the voice of the ghost of Jacob Grimm, one half of the infamous writing duo, The Brothers Grimm. 

Jacob watches over Jeremy, protecting him from an unknown dark evil whispered about in the space between this world and the next. But when the provocative local girl Ginger Boultinghouse takes an interest in Jeremy (and his unique abilities), a grim chain of events is put into motion.

And as anyone familiar with the Grimm Brothers know, not all fairy tales have happy endings..

The author's site - http://mcnealbooks.com/home.aspx

A TANGLE OF KNOTS by Lisa Graff

National Book Award nominee!

The magic of Savvy meets the complexity of When You Reach Me in this "blithe magical puzzle," --The Wall Street Journal

Told in multiple viewpoints, A Tangle of Knots is a magnificent puzzle. In a slightly magical world where everyone has a Talent, eleven-year-old Cady is an orphan with a phenomenal Talent for cake baking. But little does she know that fate has set her on a journey from the moment she was born.  And her destiny leads her to a mysterious address that houses a lost luggage emporium, an old recipe, a family of children searching for their own Talents, and a Talent Thief who will alter her life forever.  However, these encounters hold the key to Cady's past and how she became an orphan.  If she's lucky, fate may reunite her with her long-lost parent.

Lisa Graff adds a pinch of magic to a sharply crafted plot to create a novel that will have readers wondering about fate and the way we're all connected.
  The Author's site - http://www.lisagraff.com/a-tangle-of-knots.html
Praise for A TANGLE OF KNOTS:

"Lisa Graff has created a beautiful world of deliciously interconnected stories that draw you in." --Abby West, Entertainment Weekly [A-]

* "Subtle and intricate, rich with humor and insight, this quietly magical adventure delights." --Kirkus Reviews [STARRED]

* "Combining the literary sensibility of E. B. White with the insouciance of Louis Sachar, Graff has written a tangle that should satisfy readers for years to come." --Booklist [STARRED]

"Graff’s story has a warmth and gentle humor that, along with the premise, calls to mind Ingrid Law’s Savvy." --Publishers Weekly

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.

Books about cars . . .

While in Italy recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Ferrari Museum and Factory in Maranello. Along with me was my 16 year old nephew. He was in awe of the cars. Thought I would give some ideas in case anyone has little ones that are also "car" obsessed.

Italy - here we come . . .

A traditional family trip when one turns 16, so here we go . . . the 16 year old nephew and 13 year old niece . . . Join us virtually . . . ">

Gabriella's Song (Aladdin Picture Books) by Candace Fleming In the streets and canals of Venice, Gabriella can hear nothing but sweet music. The drying laundry goes slap-slap, the church bells go ting-aling-ling, and the lire go jing-aling-ling. Soon, Gabriella is humming her way through town -- and everyone hears her song! Some find it sad, others smile when they hear it -- but none can forget the beautiful melody. Before long, a certain struggling composer is inspired by Gabriella's song -- and a beautiful symphony is born. Rome Antics by David MacAulay

A pigeon carrying an important message takes the reader on a unique tour through Rome. As we follow the path of this somewhat wayward bird, we discover that Rome is a place where past and present live side by side. It is a city that has been recycling itself for two thousand years, but unlike a museum, Rome displays its remarkable history without respect for chronology. A new electric bus travels over cobblestone streets just ten feet above the floor of an ancient stadium. Inscriptions from tombs and temples share wall space with neon. Every time a corner is turned there is a surprise, just as every turn of the page brings a new perspective. This juxtaposition of ancient and modern, as seen with David Macaulay's ingenious vision, gives the reader an imaginative and informative journey through this wondrous city.

Ancient Rome for Kids by E. Parisi, R. Punzi A. Parisi

Series books for emerging readers

I have been looking for a list of series books - here you go ........ See it on Facebook and Pinterest

How Many Jelly Beans? by Andrea Menotti

I know it is not Spring or Easter time, but I recently saw this book at Eight Cousins Bookstore and loved it. So had to share . . .

How many jelly beans are enough? How many are too many? Aiden and Emma can't decide. Is 10 enough? How about 1,000? That's a lot of jelly beans. But eaten over a whole year, it's only two or three a day. This giant picture book offers kids a fun and easy way to understand large numbers. Starting with 10, each page shows more and more colorful candies, leading up to a giant fold-out surprise—ONE MILLION JELLY BEANS! With bright illustrations and an irresistible extra-large format, How Many Jelly Beans? makes learning about big numbers absolutely scrumptious!

Summer Vacation Reading Lists

I thought it might be fun to post some favorite summer reads . . . check them out! http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/books/c349/

Mossy by Jan Brett

Scoot has never seen a turtle as beautiful as Mossy. But as Mossy walks toward him, her amazing garden swaying back and forth on her shell, someone picks her up and puts her in a basket. Dr. Carolina has found the perfect exhibit for her museum. She and her niece, Tory, take Mossy there, and a large glass-enclosed case becomes Mossy's new home. How she misses sitting on her rock by the waterfall. But most of all, she misses Scoot. As more and more visitors come to admire Mossy, Tory realizes that Mossy is sad. She is sure that Mossy wants to go home. How Mossy goes back to Scoot and how Dr. Carolina finds a way to keep the spirit of Mossy alive in the museum makes for a most satisfying and surprising ending. Jan Brett fans will pore over the colorful paintings, the lush borders displaying flowers, ferns, butterflies and bird, and the museum scenes filled with visitors in stylish Edwardian dress. Mossy and Scott are sure to become favorite characters for all ages in this unique story of love, loyalty and home.

The Night Before Summer Vacation by Natasha Wing

I In the style of Clement Moore's familiar Christmas poem, tells of a family's last minute preparations for summer vacation. A little girl and her family are getting ready to go on vacation . . . or at least they are trying to. In the effort to pack everything that will be needed, there's bound to be something overlooked, and what that is provides a funny ending to this meter-perfect "twist" on Clement Moore's classic.

Just Ducks! Nicola Davies

A young girl shares her observations about the mallards near her house in an engaging, informative story sure to make a splash with duck lovers. Quack quack, Quack-quaack-quack. It's the first sound I hear every morning. The young girl in this story may live in the city, but outside her window there's a river full of mallard ducks! She hears them as soon as she wakes up, and on the way to school she sees them upside down bobbing for food. Interspersed with fun facts, her enthusiastic commentary about her feathered neighbors - what they look like, how they behave, where they nest, where they sleep - pairs swimmingly with cheerful watercolor illustrations.

Children's Books About Boston, MA

Given the news lately, had to share some well loved titles about the wonderful city of Boston , MA - Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, illustrated by Lynd Ward Winner of the 1943 Newbery Medal, this wonderful book of historical fiction depicts the pivotal events in Boston that led to the American Revolution through the eyes of a 14-year-old boy. Judy Moody Declares Independence by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds A trip to Boston's historical sites, including the famous Freedom Trail, has the indomitable 3rd grader in a revolutionary mood. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey This classic children's book makes an excellent Boston-oriented present. Make the gift complete by taking the recipient to the annual duckling walk from Beacon Hill to the Public Garden next spring. Scruffy's Museum Adventure The engaging tale of a romp through Boston's famous art museum; terrific preparation for a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts or any museum. The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White The Public Garden's swan boats are just one of the Boston icons immortalized in this wonderful classic. 86 Years: The Legend of the Boston Red Sox by Melinda R. Boroson This tale about the Red Sox triumphant return to the World Series is a must for all young fans. Check out this link as well - http://www.theinsidertravelguides.com/Boston/Survive/childrensbooks.htm

Bread and Roses Too by Katherine Paterson

Not quite where to start with this book. I recently had the pleasure to hear this author speak, WOW! From Bridge to Terabithia to Jacob I Have Loved to The Great Gilly Hopkins, if your young adolescent reader has not tried any of these books, see what you can do! Her latest is powerful. NY Times review says - "This is a book charged with the power of real and enduring issues; it is also radiant with grace and hope." Amazon readers give it 5 stars. Even a guide for discussion points and activities - http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/readers_guides/paterson_bread.shtml Here is a link to the actual event in Lawrence MA - http://www.ask.com/wiki/1912_Lawrence_Textile_Strike?o=2800&qsrc=999

Recycle A Handbook for Kids by Gail Gibbons

Recycle A Handbook for Kids by Gail Gibbons Discussing paper, plastic, glass, cans, and polystyrene, the author describes how to recycle, why it's necessary, and its benefits. The captioned panels and running text stress the need for reducing waste and saving natural resources. The book ends with a mention of the ozone layer and the limited potential for recycling polystyrene, followed by 14 facts about garbage.

International Children's Digital Library

Came across this site a while ago - wanted to share it with everyone! http://en.childrenslibrary.org/

Sugarbush Spring by Marsha Wilson Chall

We love visiting Vermont, no matter the time of year - here is another intriguing reason . . . In the month of the Maple Sugar Moon, the snow's too wet for angel making, icicles rain from Grandpa's porch roof, and something is stirring in the woods. It's sugarbush spring--time to tap the trees, prepare the bottles, then gather round the cook fire to eat chicken and dumplings, roast marshmallows, and tell stories while the cold sap heats through, thickens, and boils to make syrup. Chall's timeless story and Daly's glowing paintings invite children to share in the pleasure of making maple syrup--a process that's the same today as it was two hundred years ago.In the month of the Maple Sugar Moon, icicles rain from Grandpa's porch roof and something is stirring in the woods. It's sugarbush spring-time to tap the trees, then gather round the cook fire to roast marshmallows and tell stories while the cold sap thickens and boils to make maple syrup.In the month of the Maple Sugar Moon, icicles rain from Grandpa's porch roof and something is stirring in the woods. It's sugarbush spring-time to tap the trees, then gather round the cook fire to roast marshmallows and tell stories while the cold sap thickens and boils to make maple syrup.

March is Women's History Month

I have posted lots of biographies of women. Check out the Archives for March 2010 for lots. But here are some ideas for recognizing your inspirations . . . http://womenshistorymonth.gov About Women’s History Month Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week." Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as "Women’s History Week." In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month." Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1995, Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” From the Law Library of Congress' guide to the legislative history of Women's History Month. Here are some more resources . . . http://www.nwhp.org/ http://www.timeforkids.com/minisite/womens-history-month

Cooking with Children

I LOVE cooking with children. There are so any lessons in cooking - temperature, measuring, following directions, and simply sharing time together. Check out these resources and titles. The Chocolate Lovers: A Children's Story and Cookbook by Joan Van Loon, Gabriel Gate This is a children's story that you can really sink your teeth into With easy recipes, young readers can make the scrumptious chocolate treats described in the book and find out about young Jack and the mysterious MMM. Winnie-the-Pooh's Picnic Cookbook by A.A. Milne, Ernest H. Shepard Pooh and picnics just go together. What better way to spend a lazy summer afternoon than lolling under a shady tree with a volume of Winnie-the-pooh and a sumptuous outdoor feast? Gathered in this delicious cookbook are more than forty recipes for planning the perfect picnic -- pecan chicken fingers, bittersweet-chocolate chunk brownies, honey-spiced tea punch, and much more. The easy-to-follow recipes are divided into six theme picnics: a Kids' Picnic, Tea Party Picnic, Rainy Day Picnic, Beach Picnic, Birthday Party Picnic, and an Exposition Picnic. The Children's Kitchen Garden: A Book of Gardening, Cooking, and Learning by Georgeanne Brennan, Ethel Brennan An inspiring, practical book filled with full-color illustrations, recipes, and projects for parents, teachers, and kids who want to grow and eat their own tasty food.

Children's books about the Presidents

What Presidents Are Made Of by Hanoch Piven This engaging book is similar to Piven’s My Dog Is as Smelly as Dirty Socks and Other Funny Family Portraits (2007). Vibrant portraits in words and realia-collage illustrations, purportedly created by the child narrator in anticipation of her grandmother’s inevitable questions about school, will delight readers. One double-page spread gives each new character’s traits, expressed in several verbal metaphors (e.g., “as jumpy as a million rubber bands”) and in photos of objects (such as 8 colored rubber bands). On the next spread, a painting incorporating those objects forms an eye-catching, idiosyncratic portrait. Grades K-3. --Carolyn Phelan

Lives of the Presidents by Kathleen/ Hewitt Krull Every U.S. president is the focus of public scrutiny, but how well do we know these men? What kind of fathers do presidents make? Husbands? Neighbors? Other books focus on the historical achievements of those who have occupied our country's highest office; "Lives of the Presidents" looks instead at their bad habits, silly nicknames, and strange pets. Every president — from George Washington to Bill Clinton — is included, with an emphasis on those who have had the greatest impact on history. Discover their high points, low points, and the times in between. In this stunning addition to their acclaimed series, Kathleen Krull and Kathryn Hewitt take us beyond politics and photo opportunities, revealing the entertaining, complex, and very real lives of the presidents. http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/presidents-day/kids-books/

Snow by Uri Shulevitz

"It's snowing, said boy with dog. "It's only a snowflake," said grandfather with beard. No one thinks one or two snowflakes will amount to anything. Not the man with the hat or the lady with the umbrella. Not even the television or the radio forecasters. But one boy and his dog have faith that the snow will amount to something spectacular, and when flakes start to swirl down on the city, they are also the only ones who know how to truly enjoy it. This playful depiction of a snowy day and the transformation of a city is perfectly captured in simple, poetic text and lively watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations.

Paper Airplanes and Other Super Flyers (Kids Can Do It) by N. Francis

Here's a fun book for those indoor activities on a cold, wintery day! Maybe even save some and hang from the ceiling as a mobile. Neil Francis, an aviator and former pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force, knows a lot about flying. He also knows how to have fun with aerodynamics. In this book in the Kids Can Do It series, he shows kids how to make 13 flyers from recycled materials such as pop cans, cardboard tubes and Styrofoam trays. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, with Francis's expert advice on launching each super flyer, ensure a successful flight every time!

I Have a Dream: The Story of Martin Luther King by Margaret Davidson

An inspiring portrait of a man who changed the course of American history . . . Well documented, clearly written and illustrated with captivating photos."--"Kirkus Review. Here are some other titles -

A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Picture Book Biography) by David A. Adler, illustrated by Robert Casilla

Dare to Dream: Coretta Scott King and the Civil Rights Movement By Angela Shelf Medearis, illustrated by Anna Rich