TURN A BAD DAY INTO A GOOD DAY!

From the moment we wake up from a good night's rest, we can only hope for a good day to begin.  But what happens when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed?  Georgie knows exactly how this feels and his friends feel the same way.

Ruth Chan's darling story and illustrations capture many examples of what can go wrong in a day.  The message she conveys is that sometimes an unexpected event can really turn things around for the better.  So, with a sprinkle of patience, wonderful friends, and lots of laughter, you can also have a version of Georgie's Best Bad Day!  

For ages 2-5.

A DOG LIKE THAT!

 A Dog Like That! by Janene Cooper is a simple picture book about a girl who loves her unusual dog.  She’s always been told by those around her that a normal dog behaves and looks a certain way, and her dog is everything but normal according to their standards.  While certain dogs follow commands and look well groomed, her scruffy looking dog does as he pleases.   

This book is illustrated by Evie Kemp covered with basic sentences that define the illustrations. While one side page spread describes how dogs should behave the other page describes how this little girl’s dog does the exact opposite.  A fun book for ages 2-5.

A DOG'S BREAKFAST

It’s always a good idea to be nice.  Here’s why: Sometimes there are consequences for our bad behavior.  Here’s a story about a boy named Glen who loves to complain and lie.  One day Glen strays away from his classmates on a class trip in the woods. He encounters a tiny creature who helps him find his way back to his classmates.  But Glen does what he does best…complains. The tiny creature warns him that if he continues with his awful behavior, he will turn into something more useful. Of course Glen ignores the warning. After he returns to his class he realizes something has changed. He refrains from his usual meanness until he comes across a stray dog and kicks it when he thinks no one’s looking, which triggers the final change. 

Read A Dog's Breakfast and find out what happened to mean Glen. This is a quick read by Annie Graves with black and white illustrations by Glenn McElhinney.

For grades 3+

THE CURE FOR BORING BOOKS

MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE (a book by Betty MacDonald) lives in an upside-down house and loves children. Many of the kids in her town don't like doing their chores, talk back to their parents, and misbehave in many other ways. Rather than scolding the children, the parents turn to Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle for her miraculous cures and antidotes for these rare childhood "diseases" their children seem to have, such as "Won't-put-away-toys-itis." 

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's healing methods are so funny and different, you may even read the other books in the series, just to make sure you don't have any of these strange childhood problems. Other books in this series include HELLO, MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE, MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE'S MAGIC, and MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE'S FARM, and are great for readers in 3rd grade and up.

JULY 2012

IT'S BEDTIME CUCUY! ¡A LA CAMA, CUCUY!

Cucuy is a little monster that doesn't like to go to bed. He does everything he can think of to avoid bedtime. All he just wants to do is jump around and play. Every night he kicks and screams, jiggles and wiggles, complains that he's hungry, he's thirsty, he need to go to the bathroom..... He refuses to give in but Mom also refuses to give up.... until finally Cucuy was overcome by sleep.

Bilingual picture book that touches on a subject familiar to all children and their parents. For readers K-2. Written by Claudia Galindo, illustratred by Jonathan Coombs.

MAGIC TEACHER

THE MAGICAL MS. PLUM by Bonny Becker is about an elementary school teacher that seems to be magic. Every year, students know there is something special about Ms. Plum, but no one from the year before will tell them what it is. Every student in Ms. Plum's class has something they need to overcome, and she is just the teacher to help! Perfect beginning chapter book for 2nd-4th grades.

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR TOYS LIVES...

Lumphy, Stingray and Plastic are back again with their toy friends for new adventures. They meet a shark friend, made of rubber, that they stuff with garbage before they realize he's a nice shark. They escape out the window into a big drift of snow as they try to hunt for the little girl that loves them. But the best story yet is when they go to the basement for a dance party to celebrate the repair of their friend the dryer! TOY DANCE PARTY by Emily Jenkins is the sequel to Toys Go Out, and is just as entertaining. The hilarious actions of these toys bring them to life and give each one some very human characteristics. Good for 2nd - 5th grade readers.

A DOG'S CRAZY LIFE

You'll probably never meet a dog this crazy, or maybe you own a dog who does some of the things that Marley, a huge yellow Labrador Retriever does. He chews through walls, runs away from home, rips pillows into tiny pieces! What a mess! But he is also one of the most loyal, loving dogs you'll ever hear about. Make sure you pick up MARLEY: A DOG LIKE NO OTHER by John Grogan. It's a non-fiction book, which means that all the things that Marley does REALLY HAPPENED! For 5th grade and older.