IN SEARCH OF A NEW HOME

The refugee crisis around the world has been featured in the news a great deal recently and Rosemary McCarney's nonfiction picture book Where Will I Live? is a moving and important introduction for readers who still might be a bit too young to understand all the nuances of this complex and timely topic.

McCarney boils this intricate issue down to the basics with simple text beginning "...When Soldiers fight or danger comes families must pack their things and search for a new place to live." It features stirring and poignant photographs of refugee children and families all over the world--from Hungary to Rwanda, Lebanon to Greece, and beyond--who have been displaced from their homes and cities and countries and are looking for a new place to belong. In portraying the moments of sadness and dire need as well as moments of forming bonds of fellowship even in such harrowing circumstances, McCarney shows just how much human beings have in common and how the need--not just for shelter, but for community--is universal no matter where in the world someone is born.

This precursory resource on refugees is both poignant and topical, and should prove useful as an introduction to this current worldwide issue for children in kindergarten through second grade. In order to further supplement this simple nonfiction picture book with more concrete information, look for more detailed and complex resources in our children's nonfiction section.

LOOKING FOR MOM IN MANY STRANGE PLACES

Julia lives with her grandmother and aunt in an old house called Windy Ridge. Her mom has been gone quite some time, and Julia has pretty much settled into a life with her friend Belfry, taking pictures with her Brownie camera of things she finds interesting. Well, her grandmother decides to die one day, so Aunt Constance and Julia pack up the house and head out on the road to find Julia's mother. Without any idea of where they are going, quite a quirky, entertaining adventure unfolds. With a bit of humor and a whole lot of weird, this historical fiction just may capture the attention of even the most reluctant reader. JULIA AND THE ART OF PRACTICAL TRAVEL by Lesley M. M. Blume is an entertaining read for 5th - 8th grades.

NOV 2015

THANKS FOR THE FUN

A big THANK YOU to everyone, staff and guests, for making the Children's Room so much fun this year by taking pictures with our cardboard stand-ups.  Happy New Year!  

  

WHAT'S LUCK GOT TO DO WITH IT?

The Button family doesn't seem to have much going for them. In fact, they haven't ever really accomplished much of anything. But Tugs (middle name Esther) is bound and determined to make a name for herself and her family. With Brownie camera in tow, and a new rich and popular friend to hang out with, she's well on her way to fame and glory. As Tugs spends her summer taking pictures around town, she suddenly finds herself involved in a great mystery as well. THE LUCK OF THE BUTTONS by Anne Ylvisaker is a really cute historical fiction, with a fast pace and great dialogue. For 4th grade and up.

A CIVIL WAR GOTHIC

Jennie's fiance died under suspicious circumstances in the war, however, she believes that his spirit is angry and is trying to tell her something. Only her fiance's twin brother made it back alive, and is showing her kindness unlike before the war. Is it possible that can she love both brothers? Jennie isn't certain about anything, anymore. Was her fiance the wonderful person she remembers or in reality a criminal? She must find out what truly happened that day her beloved Will died.

Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown is told mostly through letters and photographs (illustrations). This Civil War gothic romance takes you through twists and turns and comes to a satisfying end. For mature middle school - high school readers in 7th-12th grade.

JANE IN BLOOM

JANE IN BLOOM by DEBORAH LYTTON starts off like a happy, Sunday afternoon brunch. However, things are never what they seem. She is a girl of great curiosity and wonder, who is in love with her family, especially her very popular sister, who is the light of everyone’s eye…
On Jane's birthday, she can't wait to get her ears pierced since she is literally the last girl in her classroom that does not have them. However, her parents change their minds and Jane ends up not getting what she wanted. Things do turn into much worse, when she unexpectedly loses her sister. The entire family is devastated and there seems to be to light at the end of the tunnel. However, with her love of photography, Jane slowly begins to see beauty and colors through the lenses, which later become a respite from her dull days.
This is really a heartwarming story, even though the subject matter is not light, the author has been able to make is so beautiful and lovely.

For grades 5th and older

NATURE'S BEAUTY AT IT'S COLDEST

Wilson A. Bentley, a.k.a. Snowflake Bentley, becomes fascinated with snowflakes at a very young age. As a boy, Wilson tried to draw the snowflakes he inspected with his microscope, but they would always melt before he could capture what they truly looked like. When he turned seventeen, his parents bought him a special camera with a microscope built in so that he could photograph the snowflakes and show the delicate designs of each one. This biography tells the story of an interesting man from the late 1800s, but Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin reads like historical fiction. On the sides of each page are random facts that add to the story. This is a Caldecott Medal winner for the fantastic woodcut illustrations by Mary Azarian. A wonderful story for third grade and up.