LEO CAN SWIM

Summer vacation may be drawing to a close, but here in sunny Southern California the heat rages on. It’s the perfect time to head to the pool or to share a lovely pool story with your little one.

Anna McQuinn, author of the lovable Lola series, adds a second picture book to her newest series, illustrated by Ruth Hearson, about Lola’s baby brother, Leo. In Leo Can Swim Leo and Daddy are taking baby swim lessons. The story follows the pair each step of the way as they ready themselves for the pool, from changing into a swim diaper and trunks to taking a well-deserved post-swim nap, with lots of splashy fun along the way.

There are plenty of familiar faces among the diverse group of babies and caregivers returning from Leo’s first outing, Leo Loves Baby Time. As a fun side note, to prepare for swim class Leo and Daddy read what appears to be Eric Carle’s undersea classic, Mister Seahorse; Leo later snuggles and snoozes with his own little board book version. Reading about everyday experiences helps children develop text-to-self connection. Share Leo Can Swim with your child to prepare her for her own pool playtime.

For ages 0 to preschool.

WILD ISLAND ADVENTURE

A review by Mr. B. of  the Grandview Library Branch: 

Setting dragons free is dangerous work, but in Ruth Stiles Gannett’s My Father’s Dragon, somebody’s gotta do it. That somebody is a little boy named Elmer Elevator; and his story is told in the voice of his very proud son, also a little boy. It all begins when Elmer brings home a stray cat. The cat tells Elmer about a young dragon being held captive and in servitude as the new rapid transit vehicle between the islands of Tangerina and Wild Island. Elmer quickly packs a bag with seemingly random items, and he and the cat are off on an adventure. 

There are many hazards on the road to rescue, but in true folklore tradition, each of the packed items gets the travelers out of trouble just as disaster is about to strike, until the dragon is rescued. This gentle, imaginative, witty Newbery Honor (1949) adventure is suitable for episodic read-aloud times, at home or in the classroom.

For readers ages 5-10.  

WHAT A RACE!

It feels like I've been in a race after reading this book. Lily LOVES horses. Just like her mom. But since her mom was killed riding a horse, her father hardly lets her near them, especially the horse that threw her mom! How will she convince her father to loosen the reins and let her do what she loves so much? ASTRA  by Chris Platt is a great, easy-to-read book about Arabian horses, endurance racing, love and loss, and it is action packed! 

For grades 3-6.

OCTOBER 2012

DADS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN!

When fathers finish a long day at work they do what’s close to their heart—Play!!

When Dads Don’t Grow Up by Marjorie Blain Parker for babies, toddlers and their dads. 

THE LOVE OF A DOG

Dessa Dean lives with her father in a cabin. It's winter - the first winter since her mother died, and she's still not able to walk off the porch without fear clutching her inside and out. She becomes completely paralyzed. Then one day, a dog limps out of the snowy forest and into Dessa Dean's life. The dog comes to help Dessa Dean, bringing her out of her life of fear and closer to her father. THE LEANIN' DOG by K. A. Nuzum is a touching story about how time and a furry friend can help someone cope with a terrible loss. For 4th through 8th grades.

SWALLOWED WHOLE

THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY by Kathryn Fitzmaurice is very well written for an author's first novel. Set in a small oceanside town, Eleanor "Groovy" Robinson witnesses her father being taken to jail. Turns out, it's her mother that's sent him there, and all of a sudden her normal world swirls into chaos. She's so upset she can't even do the one thing she loves - cooking. She discovers unlikely friends in peculiar people and places, and comes to terms with things not always being what they seem. Very easy to read, with vivid imagery and an engaging plot. For grades 4 and up.

THE QUEST FOR TRUE BLUE LOVE

Lulu Atlantis is not very happy. Her mother brought home a new baby and he gets all the attention. Her father is far away with no hint as to when he will return. All Lulu wants is "True Blue Love" and she has no idea where to find it. Her best friend, Harry, the top-hat-wearing spider, loves her unconditionally and will do anything for Lulu. Yogurt Skunk also tries to be Lulu's friend. But Lulu keeps missing what "True Blue Love" really is until a horrible accident changes everything. LULU ATLANTIS AND THE QUEST FOR TRUE BLUE LOVE by Patricia Martin is a book that might just answer a few of your questions about life. For 4th - 6th grades.

THE IMAGINARY PRAGUE

THE CABINET OF WONDERS by Marie Rutkoski begins a new series called The Kronos Chronicles. Set in Prague in an undetermined point in time, Petra lives with her father who has the amazing ability to move and shape metal just by thinking! Unfortunately, when her father's eyes are removed after he builds an astronomical clock of magical proportion for the local prince, Petra sets out to retrieve them. She experiences some great adventures along the way, and learns quite a bit about who she is and her own special powers. Hopefully the rest of the series will be as entertaining and enjoyable as this book. For 6th grade and up.

A NEW AND IMPROVED MAGICAL ORPHAN!

He lives in an orphanage. He doesn't have a scar, but he does have a strange spiral birthmark on the bottom of his foot. He thinks his name is Ernie Banks, but it's not. He doesn't have a magic wand, but he does have a mysterious crystal acorn that's hung on his neck ever since the mean orphanage mother found him on the doorstep. There's a history to his life that he doesn't even know about. Not until he happens to get sent to a farm for a few weeks in summer, and strange coincidences intermix with crazy monsters, small elf-like creatures, and the first humans to ever show Ernie what it feels like to be loved. PUDDLEJUMPERS by Mark Jean & Christopher C. Carlson is a great story about what one boy does to save an entire species without even knowing it. For 6th grade and up.

A TURNING POINT IN HISTORY

There was a time when kids went outside to play, made up imaginary games evoking historical characters and aliens from the future, families went on road trips in search of gold, radiation was still a new treatment for cancer, and cancer was still mysterious. In THE LUCKY PLACE by Zu Vincent, families are becoming visibly dysfunctional through the eyes of Cassie, spanning ten years from age three to thirteen. There's Old Daddy, the drunk, and New Daddy, the one Cassie likes better. Jaime, her older brother, is not happy about New Daddy, but escapes his anger and frustration by taking as many dance classes as possible. There are complex relationships rich with emotion, told from a soft, gentle, very human perspective. This book will capture the attention of 5th grades and up.

STEPMOTHERS HAVE FEELINGS TOO YOU KNOW

Three girls are sent off to a boarding school in New England after their fathers marry for the second time. They find their lives and relationships with their fathers changed drastically from the pre-stepmother period. Slowly the girls realize the situation they have in common and form a club to empower themselves and seek revenge on their stepmothers. The plan was simple, destroy what is most important to the stepmothers. But the plan doesn't quite work out as the girls had hoped and they begin to see their stepmothers in a different light.

Poison Apples by Lily Archer is for middle school readers and older.