Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Writer's Wednesday

It's Writer's Wednesday. 



Here's an interesting articles on our craft inspired by the recent Academy Awareds.

At Through the Tollbooth -- a post titled Want to write a great voice? Listen. by Helen Hemphill in Features.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted today by Check It Out.

Just for the fun of it -- my selection is "Guess Again!: riddle poems" by Lillian Morrison with illustrations by Christy Hale.


This picture book collection of riddle poems will challenge and delight young readers.  Each illustration offers a clue to the answer which is provided on the following page.  Some of the answers are obvious while others may require a peek at the solution.  In any case you can count on hearing these word puzzles repeated by eager fans.

Monday, February 20, 2012

Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by Lori Calabrese.

My selection is "Baby Mammoth Mummy: frozen in time!: a prehistoric animal's journey into the 21st century, written by Christopher Sloan with the cooperation of Bernard Buigues and photographed by Francis Latreille.


Join scientists as they recreate details from the life of Lyuba -- the most perfectly preserved baby mammoth ever discovered.  Found on a riverbank in Siberia by a native reindeer herder, this amazing creature has shed new light on mammoth life and the environment some 40,000 years ago.  Cutting-edge technology that included computer tomography allowed researchers to study her internal organs allowing them to learn more about her life and death.  Researchers are now working to decipher her genetic code.

Lyuba's story has been told by National Geographic on television and in their magazine.  Now, this book makes the remarkable story available to children.

For more about Lyuba click HERE.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted today by Gathering Books.

My selection is "The President's Stuck in the Bathtub" written by Susan Katz with illustrations by Robert Neubecker.



Just in time for President's Day and this election year, comes this collection of verses in a variety of forms celebrating some fun-filled snippets about the presidents from Washington to Obama.  Yes, Taft got stuck in his bathtub, but did you know that John Quincy Adams liked to skinny-dip in the Potomac and was famous for losing his clothes and having to wait (once for five or six hours) while a servant brought him something to wear so he could dress and return to the White House. 

Each poem is brightly illustrated by Neubecker's colorful artwork and followed by a brief note related to the subject of the verse.

The book concludes with Presidential Notes and Quotes that include presidential firsts and nicknames.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by Wrapped in Foil.

My selection is "If I Ran for President" written by Catherine Stier and illustrated by Lynne Avril.



What would it be like to run for president of the United States?  That is the question explored from a child's point of view by author Catherine Stier.  There would be fun -- seeing your name on T-shirts and signs, appearing on television, giving interviews, and being the center of attention at rallies where cheering audiences chant your name.  But running for president would also be hard, hard work --  educating yourself about the issues, receiving your party's nomination at their national convention, campaigning, winning the election, and beginning your first day in the Oval Office. 

Stier provides an introductory page that details the qualifications for president.  She then follows six young candidates through an election year that includes the role of political parties, Caucuses, Primaries, Election Day, and the Electoral College.  Stier has created an entertaining read that succeeds in explaining this complicated process using experiences that youngsters can relate to and by employing language they can understand.

Avril's illustrations mirror the lively text as she portrays a broad variety of youthful candidates taking turns sharing their thoughts and views on America's election-year experience.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by Capstone Connect.

My selection is Freedom Walkers: the story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott written by Russell Freedman.



The extraordinary Russell Freedman brings his award-winning talent to another pivotal moment in American history in a book that brings the Bus Boycott into perspective for modern young readers.  He draws on  contemporary accounts and scholarly papers to inform his writing and create a work that is both accurate and personal.   As always, the photographs bring another layer of depth to the thoughtful text.

The Gingerbread Cowboy Book Trailer