Children's
Core Collection

 

 

Public Library
Core Collection:
Fiction

 

 

Middle & Junior
High Core
Collection

 

 

Public Library
Core Collection:
Nonfiction

 

 

Senior
High Core
Collection
 

 

 
Home The Editor's Pick

 

Children's Core Collection

Current Picks for October 2007

 

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   In Aunt Giraffe's green garden
Other Titles:    
Personal Author:   Jack Prelutsky; pictures by Petra Mathers. 1st ed.
Publisher:   Greenwillow Books
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   63
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-06-623868-5, $16.99
Abstract:   This is a "picture-book poetry collection of gleeful nonsense verse and captivating illustrations. . . . The bouncing, rhyming couplets are best read aloud. . . . Mathers' watercolor artwork greatly enhances each selection." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Animals/Poetry
Dewey Decimal Classification:   811
Reading Level:   K 1 2 3

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   How many seeds in a pumpkin?. 1st ed.
Other Titles:    
Personal Author:    McNamara, Margaret; Karas, G. Brian, il
Publisher:   Schwartz & Wade Books
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-375-84014-2, $14.99
Abstract:   Charlie, the smallest child in his first grade class, is amazed to discover that of the three pumpkins his teacher brings to school, the tiniest one has the most seeds. "Karas's characteristic watercolor illustrations done in a fall palette depict a diverse, modern classroom full of warm and humorous details. . . . This enjoyable story, sprinkled with math and science lessons, should be a first-purchase consideration." (SLJ)
Subject(s):    Size/Fiction; Pumpkin/Fiction; Counting/Fiction; School stories
Dewey Decimal Classification:   E
Reading Level:   K 1 2

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Sneeze!
Other Titles:    
Personal Author:   Siy, Alexandra; Kunkel, Dennis
Publisher:   Charlesbridge
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   45
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:    978-1-57091-653-3 (lib bdg), $16.95; 978-157091-654-0 (paperback),$6.95
Abstract:   This describes some causes of sneezing, including "air-pollen, dust mites, mold spores, dust, goose down, cat hair, pepper, flu viruses, and bright light." (Publisher's note)
"Kunkel's big, clear, beautiful color electron micrographs on every double-page spead show everything from dust mites, mildew, and pollen to the influenza A virus." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Sneezing; Allergy
Dewey Decimal Classification:   612.2
Reading Level:   4 5 6 7
Note(s):   Includes glossary and bibliographical references

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Animals in the house: a history of pets and people
Other Titles:    
Personal Author:   Keenan, Sheila
Publisher:   Scholastic Nonfiction
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   112
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-439-69286-1, $17.99
Abstract:    "Kennan provides an overview of pets and their people. Beginning with statistics about pet ownership, the text goes on to describe how animals and humans came together . . . and discusses how this relationship has changed and deepened. . . . Eye-catchingly designed, the format uses Photoshop to best advantage, providing interesting graphics, popping borders, and plenty of pictures featuring adorable animals." (Booklist)
Subject(s):    Pets
Dewey Decimal Classification:   636
Reading Level:   4 5 6
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references

 

Previous Picks

 
  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Different like Coco
Other Titles:   biography of Coco Chanel
Personal Author:   Matthews, Elizabeth
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-7636-2548-1, $16.99
0-7636-2548-5
Abstract:   "A celebration of the life of a major fashion designer and independent spirit. . . . The story is accompanied, appropriately, by elegant pen-and-ink and watercolor cartoons that capture her struggles as a young woman, as well as her innate sense of style." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Fashion designers; Chanel, Coco, 1883-1971/Juvenile literature
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Reading Level:   2 3 4
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 13 (Mar. 1 2007). Cooper, Ilene, reviewer
Review:   The Horn Book v. 83 no. 2 (Mar./Apr. 2007). Adams, Lauren, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 22 (June 3 2007). Goddu, Krystyna Poray, reviewer [with excerpt]

 

 

  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Here's a little poem: a very first book of poetry. 1st U.S. ed.
Personal Author:   Yolen, Jane, ed; Peters, Andrew, ed; Dunbar, Polly, il
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   104
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-7636-3141-3, $21.99
0-7636-3141-8
Abstract:   "This big, spacious anthology of more than 60 poems is a wonderful first book to read with babies and toddlers over and over again. . . . The clear, active, mixed-media illustrations show very young children outdoors and in; morning to bedtime; loving, teary, absurd, furious." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   American poetry/Collections
Dewey Decimal Classification:   811.008
Reading Level:   Pre K
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 19 (May 13 2007). Long, Joanna Rudge, reviewer

 

 

  A Most Highly Recommended Title
Title:   Lightship
Personal Author:   Floca, Brian
Publisher:   Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-1-4169-2436-4, $16.99
1-4169-2436-1
Abstract:   "Lightships - floating lighthouses - were retired in 1983, but they live on in Floca's handsome picture book, which uses simple words and repeated phrases to emphasize the vessels' purpose and uniqueness as well as their day-today operation. . . . Some pictures include elements of humor, while other scenes are notable for their quiet beauty." (Booklist)
Note(s):   A Richard Jackson book
Subject(s):   Lightships
Dewey Decimal Classification:   387.2
Reading Level:   K 1 2
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 11 (Feb. 1 2007). Phelan, Carolyn, reviewer
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 9 (May 2007). Bush, Elizabeth, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

 

 

  Core Collection
Title:   The tinderbox
Personal Author:   Mitchell, Stephen; Andersen, Hans Christian; Ibatoulline, Bagram, il
Responsibility:   [by] Hans Christian Andersen; retold by Stephen Mitchell; illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-7636-2078-3, $17.99
0-7636-2078-5
Abstract:   With the help of a magic tinderbox, a soldier finds a fortune and pursues a princess imprisoned in a castle.
"The soldier may be handsome and the princess lovely, but the old witch and the three giant dogs along with the beautifully developed settings really create the superb fairy-tale ambience of this robust telling of Andersen's tale. Ibatoulline's finely hatched pen drawings, washed in muted tones, resemble lithographs." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Fairy tales; Andersen, Hans Christian, 1805-1875/Adaptations
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   K 1 2
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 9/10 (Jan. 1-15 2007). Engberg, Gillian, reviewer
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 10 (June 2007). Morrison, Hope, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

   

Previous Picks

 

   
Title:   Animal poems. 1st ed.
Personal Author:   Worth, Valerie; Jenkins, Steve, il
Publisher:   Farrar, Straus Giroux
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-374-38057-0, $17
978-0-374-38057-1
Abstract:   A collection of twenty-three illustrated poems about animals
"This pairing of . . . Worth's exquisite poems with Jenkins's . . . extraordinary, cut-paper illustrations make this a volume to treasure. . . . Each poem in this handsome volume is a gem--full of crisp language, vivid images and thoughtful ideas." (Publ Wkly)
Subject(s):   Animals/Poetry
Dewey Decimal Classification:   811
Reading Level:   4 5 6

 

 

   
Title:   Comets, stars, the Moon, and Mars: space poems and paintings
Personal Author:   Florian, Douglas
Publisher:   Harcourt
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   45
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-15-205372-7, $16
Abstract:   This "book looks at astronomy through the magnifying, clarifying lens of poetry. Each double-page spread features a short, accessible poem about a subject such as the sun, each of its planets, a comet, a constellation, or the universe, set with an impressive painting." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Astronomy/Poetry
Dewey Decimal Classification:   811
Reading Level:   2 3 4 5

 

 

   
Title:   Once upon a tomb: gravely humorous verses
Personal Author:   Lewis, J. Patrick; Bartram, Simon, il
Publisher:   Candlewick
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-7636-1837-3, $16.99
Abstract:   "Proving himself to be anything but a grave man, Lewis offers 22 irreverent epitaphs and other mortuary verses, each of which is paired with a large, polished portrait or burial scene created in richly hued acrylics. . . . This rare look at the lighter side of death should elicit plenty of surprised giggles from young audiences." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Death/Poetry
Dewey Decimal Classification:   811
Reading Level:   3 4 5
Review:   Booklist v. 102 no. 22 (Aug. 2006). Peters, John, reviewer
Review:   School Library Journal v. 52 no. 8 (Aug. 2006). Cardon, Donna, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Today and today
Personal Author:   Kobayashi, Issa; Karas, G. Brian, il
Responsibility:   by Kobayashi Issa; pictures by G. Brian Karas
Publisher:   Scholastic Press
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-4395-9078-7, $16.99
Abstract:   "Karas uses the haiku of the eighteenth-century Japanese poet Issa to limn a gentle, understated tale of one family over a year. . . . The translations . . . are simply and clearly crafted. . . . Kara's art, using rice paper, paint, and pencil, is precise, enticing, and evocative." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Haiku
Dewey Decimal Classification:   895.6
Reading Level:   k 1 2 3
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 9 (May 2007). Stevenson, Deborah, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

 

 
   
Title:   Bronzeville boys and girls. Newly illustrated ed.
Personal Author:   Brooks, Gwendolyn; Ringgold, Faith, il
Publisher:   Amistad/HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   41
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-06-029505-9
0-06-029505-8, $16.99
978-0-06-029506-6 (lib bdg)
0-06-029506-6 (lib bdg), $17.89
Abstract:   "Brooks's deceptively simple poems for children combined with Ringgold's vibrant illustrations help to rejuvenate this collection first published in 1956. . . . Each poem is tightly constructed, rhythmic and distinctive. . . . Ringgold's bold illustrations, outlined with her signature thick black lines, are among some of her best and most narrative works since Tar Beach." (Publ Wkly)
Note(s):   Amistad
A newly illustrated edition of the title first published 1956
Subject(s):   African Americans/Poetry
Dewey Decimal Classification:   811
Reading Level:   k 1 2 3
Review:   The Horn Book v. 83 no. 1 (Jan./Feb. 2007). Lempke, Susan Dove, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 11 (Feb. 1 2007). Mattson, Jennifer, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Extreme animals: the toughest creatures on Earth
Personal Author:   Davies, Nicola; Layton, Neal, il
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   61
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-7636-3067-6
0-7636-3067-5, $12.99
Abstract:   "There is life everywhere on Earth . . . and much of that life thrives in conditions that humans could not endure for five minutes or less. This funny and appealing little book describes who these amazing life-forms are and how they manage to survive. Simple and inviting cartoon drawings enliven the text and convey the types of extremes in an easy-to-understand manner." (SLJ)
Note(s):   Includes glossary
Subject(s):   Animals; Adaptation (Biology)
Dewey Decimal Classification:   590
Reading Level:   3-6
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 2 (Oct. 2006). Stevenson, Deborah, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 7 (Dec. 1 2006). Rochman, Hazel, reviewer
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 112 no. 10 (Mar. 11 2007). Conniff, Richard, reviewer [with excerpt]

 

 

   
Title:   Julia Morgan built a castle
Personal Author:   Mannis, Celeste Davidson; Hyman, Miles, il
Publisher:   Viking
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-670-05964-1, $17.99
Abstract:   A picture book biography of "a groundbreaking female architect. Luminescent illustrations, created using soft pastels and pencils in a golden-peach palette, appear to glow with the light of California and France, both seminal locations in Morgan's life. . . . Filled with rich vocabulary, the narrative employs scrumptious architectural terms such as Baroque, flying buttresses, and teakwood cornice." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   Women architects; Hearst-San Simeon State Historical Monument (Calif.)/Juvenile literature; Morgan, Julia/Juvenile literature
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Reading Level:   1-4
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 4 (Dec. 2006). Stevenson, Deborah, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 6 (Nov. 15 2006). Mattson, Jennifer, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   The escape of Oney Judge
Personal Author:   McCully, Emily Arnold
Publisher:   Farrar Straus Giroux
Publication Year:   2007
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-374-32225-2, $16
Abstract:   Young Oney Judge risks everything to escape a life of slavery in the household of George and Martha Washington and to make her own way as a free black woman.
"McCully takes a rather sophisticated piece of history and writes it in a way that will draw in children. . . . The bright, eye-catching watercolor-and-ink artwork makes the story even more accessible, and an informative note adds to the text." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Slavery/Fiction; African Americans/Fiction; United States/History/1783-1865/Fiction; Judge, Oney, b. ca. 1772/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   Fic
Reading Level:   2 3 4
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 6 (Nov. 15 2006). Cooper, Ilene, reviewer

 

 

Click book cover to order from Amazon    
Title:    Beauty and the beast. 1st U.S. ed.
Personal Author:   Eilenberg, Max; Barrett, Angela, il
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2006
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-7636-3160-4
978-0-7636-3160-4, $17.99
Abstract:   Through her great capacity to love, a kind and beautiful maid releases a handsome prince from the spell which has made him an ugly beast.
"Writer and artist are both at their best in the luxury of the Beast's palace. Collectors of sumptuous fairy tale editions will not want to miss this one." (Publ Wkly)
Subject(s):   Fairy tales; Folklore/France
Dewey Decimal Classification:   398.2
Reading Level:   2-4

 

 

   
Title:   The birdman
Personal Author:   Charles, Veronika Martenova; Galouchko, Annouchka Gravel, il; Daigle, Stephan, il
Publisher:   Tundra Books
Publication Year:   2006
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-88776-740-1
0-88776-740-0, $17.95
Abstract:   "In the crowded streets of Calcutta, Nobi, a tailor, works hard to support his family. Then his wife and children are killed. . . . After weeks of immobilizing anguish, Nobi buys some caged birds at the market, sets them free, and finds some of his weighty sorrow released. . . . Charles, who based her vivid, poetic text on a true story (explained in a lengthy afterword), is frank about the pain of loss, but focuses on the uplifting message that acts of kindness can ease grief. The illustrators extend the story's spirit-healing themes in vibrant folk-art paintings, gloriously patterned with flowers, Hindu symbols, and soaring birds." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   India/Fiction; Birds/Fiction; Bereavement/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   E
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 3 (Oct. 1 2006). Engberg, Gillian, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Behind the mask. 1st ed.
Personal Author:   Choi, Yangsook
Publisher:   Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Year:   2006
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-374-30522-6, $16
Abstract:   Kimin, a young Korean-American boy, has trouble deciding on a Halloween costume, but as he looks through an old trunk of his grandfather's things, he suddenly unlocks a childhood mystery.
"Quiet and well-crafted, the story manages some subtle emotional shifts as well as the smooth weaving of one tradition with another." (Booklist)
Note(s):   Frances Foster books
Subject(s):   Halloween/Fiction; Masks (Facial)/Fiction; Korean Americans/Fiction; Grandfathers/Fiction
Dewey Decimal Classification:   E
Review:   The New York Times Book Review v. 111 no. 43 (Oct. 22 2006). Ellis, Sarah, reviewer [with excerpt]
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 4 (Oct. 15 2006). Phelan, Carolyn, reviewer

 

 

   
Title:   Sparks fly high: the legend of Dancing Point
Personal Author:   Quattlebaum, Mary; Gore, Leonid, il
Publisher:   Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Publication Year:   2006
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-374-34452-8
0-374-34452-3, $16
Abstract:   When Colonel Lightfoot and the devil hold a lengthy dance contest to see who will control a plot of land along the James River in Virginia, the result is a surprise for both participants.
"Gore's textured illustrations convey the story's energy and comedy in beautifully composed scenes. . . . What really shines here, though, are the folksy words, which have all the infectious rhythm of a country dance." (Booklist)
Note(s):   Melanie Kroupa Books
Subject(s):   Dance/Folklore; Devil/Folklore; Contests/Folklore; Folklore/Virginia
Dewey Decimal Classification:   398.2
Reading Level:   k-3
Review:   The Horn Book v. 82 no. 5 (Sept./Oct. 2006). Long, Joanna Rudge, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 4 (Oct. 15 2006). Engberg, Gillian, reviewer
Review:   Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books v. 60 no. 4 (Dec. 2006). Stevenson, Deborah, reviewer [with excerpt, full text]

 

 
Title:   Moses
Personal Author:   Hodges, Margaret; Moser, Barry, il
Publisher:   Harcourt, Inc.
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   26
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   978-0-15-200946-5
0-15-200946-9, $16
Abstract:   Retells the story of Moses, from his birth and trip in a boat of bulrushes to his bringing of the Ten Commandments down from Mount Sinai.
"The venerable story of Moses gets a brisk yet compelling treatment by Hodges. . . . The book is beautiful to page through, with cream-colored pages and the bordered watercolors in Moser's signature style." (Booklist)
Subject(s):   Bible stories; Moses (Biblical figure)
Dewey Decimal Classification:   222
Reading Level:   3-5
Review:   Booklist v. 103 no. 3 (Oct. 1 2006). Cooper, Ilene, reviewer

 

 

Title:   Dizzy
Personal Author:   Winter, Jonah; Qualls, Sean, il
Publisher:   Arthur A. Levine Books
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   un
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-439-50737-5, $16.99
0-439-50736-7 (paperback)
Abstract:   A picture book biography of the African American jazz musician who originated the style known as Bebop.
"Through a powerful marriage of rhythmic text and hip and surprising illustrations, the unorthodox creator of Bebop comes to life. . . . Winter's lively writing pops with energy and begs to be read aloud. Qualls's acrylic, collage, and pencil illustrations swing across the large pages with unique, jazzy rhythms, varying type sizes and colors, and playful perspectives." (SLJ)
Subject(s):   African American musicians; Jazz musicians; Gillespie, Dizzy, 1917-1993/Juvenile literature
Dewey Decimal Classification:   92
Reading Level:   k-3

 

 

Title:   Tales our abuelitas told: a Hispanic folktale collection
Personal Author:   Campoy, F. Isabel; Ada, Alma Flor; Davalos, Felipe, il; Escriva, Vivi, il; Guevara, Susan, il; Torres, Leyla, il
Publisher:   Simon & Schuster
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   118
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-689-82583-5, $19.95
Note(s):   Also available Spanish language edition
Dewey Decimal Classification:   398.2
Reading Level:   3-6

 

 

Title:   Nobody gonna turn me 'round: stories and songs of the civil rights movement
Personal Author:   Rappaport, Doreen; Evans, Shane, il
Publisher:   Candlewick Press
Publication Year:   2006
Pages:   63
Physical Description:   Illustration
ISBN:   0-7636-1927-2978-0-7636-1927-5, $19.99
Abstract:   "Rappaport draws on songs, poems, memories, letters, court testimony, and first-person accounts to provide a moving portrayal of the experiences of African Americans from the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott to the Voting Rights Act in July 1965. . . . Evans's earth-toned oil paintings enhance the stories with images that are by turns poignant, sad, hurtful, resigned, determined, hopeful, and triumphant." (SLJ)
Note(s):   Includes bibliographical references