New Fuzzies!

It has been a while since we had any good wormies to munch, and our goldfish have grown too big for us to eat, so we were very excited when someone brought Miss Ami a whole mess of caterpillars. Turns, out, though, they aren't for eating!

Miss Ami spent the better part of an hour transferring dozens of teeny tiny caterpillars into what looks like a million communion cups with lids (what, you're surprised to find out turtles go to church too?). She says they are going to turn into butterflies, but that we won't be allowed to eat those, either. Pooh! They are all going to be released at the local Earth Day Fair. Seems like a silly waste to us, but people do some strange things.

They even have cool little houses for their stay here


and Miss Ami is keeping the runt of the litter at her desk to give it special attention.


We just hope this doesn't mean we will be neglected! We are the stars of the show, after all!

Miss Ami is also hoping to find more activities and presenters at the Earth Day Fair for our Summer Reading Program. Like many other libraries across the country, we are using the "Make a Splash" theme. Now, that is more up our alley! Perhaps a summer-long project to build us a giant new deluxe habitat would be good...

We'll keep you up to date on our progress with both the butterflies, and the summer project idea - although we have the feeling one is going to be much more successful than the other.

Nonfiction Monday: Speaking of Art by Bob Raczka, reviewed by Fegan

Raczka (some day I will learn to spell that without looking at it) has done it again. We have thoroughly enjoyed his other books, especially The Vermeer Interviews, and this may be our new favorite. A simple collection of artwork paired with quotes by various artists, this book would be a delightful way to introduce people of any age to famous works.

Some of the quotes are surprising or funny, such as, "If I didn't start painting, I would have raised chickens," from Grandma Moses. Any one of the quotations or pieces of art could spawn a whole discussion or lesson. Using this example, what would Mom/Dad have done if not for their current line of work? What paths did they choose not to take in their life? Children are often thrown for a loop when they realize Mom and Dad had a life before them. This can springboard a discussion of possible paths they will have before them, how they might choose which ones to take, and what the consequences might be of making different choices. Not feeling philosophical? Try Jasper Johns's advice to "Take an object. Do something to it. Do something else to it." What fun could you have with that?!

In addition to serving well on a library or classroom shelf, this book would make a great gift for families whose parents and kids "do things" together. I could also see a teacher using one quote and art pairing each week for discussions and activities. As always, Lerner, who provided our review copy, has done a great job with the binding and print quality.

Check out more great nonfiction books here

I Want TWO Birthdays! by Tony Ross, reviewed by Miss Ami

An apt review, as I dash around planning for two birthdays! As my kids get older, they are less satisfied with the old have-Grandma-over-for-cake, and want parties that actually require events, with invitations and activities and other people's children. It also means getting invited to other children's parties, and Murphy's law dictates that all such parties be lumped into the same weekend.

Being the incredibly organized Mommy I am, the gift for the party my two oldest sons should currently be attending are sitting on the front seat of my van, unwrapped. I say "currently", because I have so far received two phone calls from Grandma, who is running chauffer duty, and who is still trying to figure out exactly where said party is located.

This does not bode well for tomorrow's party, which is at my house. I do know where my house is (most days), but very few other people do, and when I get halfway through directions ("then turn right at the second herd of elk, not the first one..."), their eyes start to glaze over. What I do not know is exactly what we will be doing or eating. I have some cupcake mix and toppers, and we are planning a snipe hunt. Unless the weather is terrible. Which it is right now. Hmm.

Of course, the little princess in this story wants two birthdays for herself. And then three. And then four. And then...you get the picture. Of course, the birthdays stop being special, but that is solved in a way reminiscent of Mike Reiss's Merry Un-Christmas. Ross's illustrations are always adorable, and every child can identify with the sentiments. I have the feeling we may be reading this one come Sunday!

A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard, reviewed by Freaky

Publisher description:

This complex and haunting exploration of life on the edge and what it takes to triumph over adversity is a story about the indomitable nature of hope.

Two young boys, an old tramp, a beautiful teenage dancer, and the girl's baby-ragtag survivors of a sudden war-form a fragile family, hiding out in the ruins of an amusement park. As they scavenge for food, diapers, and baby formula, they must stay out of sight of vicious gangs and lawless solders. At first they rely on Billy, the only adult in the group. But as civil life deteriorates, Billy starts to fall apart. Skip, who is barely into his teens, must take over and lead them on a search for sanctuary.

Another one whose cover we aren't crazy about - the title either, for that matter. I'm not sure what we WOULD use as the cover art or title, but neither of these seemed to match. Yes, much of the story takes place in an abandoned amusement park, but this cover makes us think horror novel or ghost story, which it is not. The title makes us think romance, which it definitely is not.

It really isn't a lot of things, including, unfortunately, believable. I was interested in the angle at first - most war stories focus on either key players, or people who are clearly on one side or the other. This one features characters who are just living their own lives, not really paying attention to, or even aware of, the events leading up to the fighting, but nontheless finding their lives turned upside down as a result.

Unfortunately, the characters themselves never developed into solid people in my mind. I had to look back to see how old Skip was, because he, like the other characters, alternately behaved and spoke as someone older and then younger than he was supposed to be. Parts of the story seemed forced, others disconnected. A book that had good intentions, but didn't really follow through.

There was one line in particular I really liked, though, and I'll add it here - although, again, it's hard to believe that it would come from a 12-year-old who is not very perceptive in so many other areas (I really got the impression he was mentally challenged at times):

"I know that sentence is too long and has too many joining words in it but sometimes, when I'm angry, words burst out of me like a shout, or, if I'm sad, they spill out of me like tears, and if I'm happy my words are like a song. If that happens it's one of my rules not to change them because they're coming out of my heart and not my head, and that's the way they're meant to be."

Nonfiction Monday: Our Four Seasons series by Sheila Anderson, reviewed by Yoda

Why yes, yes we are!



Not so much, thanks anyway.

Whatever season you are ready for, these books are a nice way to begin it, whether read aloud to a class, or sitting on the sofa with your little one. Simple vocabulary and fun phrases ("splooshy, squishy mud") will have your young readers coming back to read them again on their own. Parts of the text almost read like poems, with onomotopoeia and forms like concrete poems abounding. Great pictures, glossaries, and mini-articles (like "Why Do Leaves Change Color" in the fall version) add to the interest. A great addition to library or classroom. Excuse me now, while I go make order cards for the other two...

In the meantime, check out some other great nonfiction books at Books Together

Bedtime Without Arthur by Jessica Meserve, reviewed by Squirt

I know, I seem to be doing all the reviews lately. There are just so many great picture books coming in! Lerner sent us a copy of this one, and it's just too cute not to share:



Publisher's description:

Bella has a bear named Arthur. Like other bears, he's soft and cuddly. Unlike other bears, Arthur knows karate and works tirelessly all night to protect Bella from monsters, dragons, slugs, and other things that lurk in the shadows. One night, Arthur goes missing. Her mother, her father, and her little brother search high and low, but he is nowhere to be found. Will Bella ever find him again? Or can she find a way to be brave all on her own?

I'll admit, I USED TO BE afraid of the things that go bump in the night - and let me tell you, there are lots of weird noises in a library after everyone has gone home for the evening! Fortunately, Yoda (who is not as grumpy as he pretends to be) made some monster spray for me, and that kept the creepy things at bay. I found out later it was just glitter and vegetable oil mixed in water - or maybe I knew that all along. At any rate, it worked pretty well!

Now, of course, I am big enough that I don't have to worry about those monsters - and by the end of this tale, Bella realizes she is, too. Adults will probably figure out pretty quickly where Arthur is, but those in the intended audience will find it a surprise, and hopefully be inspired to be a big kid like Bella. The pictures are great, making obvious use of light and dark that, again, is quite suitable for the age group. I especially like the change in the end page illustrations.

Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer, by Carol Brendler, reviewed by Squirt

A few days ago, I reviewed a great book on composting for kids. I have already made Miss Ami go out and buy the materials for our very own composting bin. Once she has it together and we have started collecting garbage, do you know what we'll need? Worms!



Just as worms are the perfect complement to a composting pile, this fiction book is the perfect complement to the other. Winnie loves worms, to the point of hugging them and taking them for walks (personally I enjoy them as a good snack, but that would be at cross-purposes here). She hopes to enter them in the county fair, but there doesn't seem to be a category for worms. There really should be. have you looked at a 4-H catalog lately? If they can have pygmy goats or clowning, both very cool, why not worm farming?

Rather than call her local County Extension Office to complain, Winnie gets creative and finds a way for her worms to be well-represented at the fair, helping others and teaching us a little about composting and interdependence along the way. I am now looking forward even more to our composting project, and promise not to eat a single worm from it. (Did you know you can buy earthworms at many Walmarts? Ask in the sporting goods section.) A fun read even for kids who aren't into gradening (or garbage) just yet.