Thursday, March 29, 2012

Children's Book Review :: That Book Woman



Have you ever been perplexed by the gift of a stranger? Cal, a boy who knows how to work hard with his hands and help his dad with farm work in their home high up on a mountain in Appalachia, is suspicious of the strange woman who rides her horse up the mountain in all kinds of weather to bring books free of charge.



"Now what that lady brings
it's sure no treasure,
not to me, but books!"


Written in a poetic form of the everyday vernacular of the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, this tale portrays the unusual work of the Pack Horse Librarians which served Eastern Kentucky from 1935 - 1943. Heather Henson has beautifully captured the dedication of the Pack Horse Librarians and the patrons amazement and appreciation of their efforts.

This book got me thinking about kids in my community who would be surprised and delighted by a modern day "book woman". A quick google search led me to two local organizations that deliver books, Pajama Program and The Legal Aid Society. What organizations in your community bring the magic of books to kids who need it?

For the joy of reading,
Nicole



Product Description (Amazon.com)

Cal is not the readin' type. Living way high up in the Appalachian Mountains, he'd rather help Pap plow or go out after wandering sheep than try some book learning. Nope. Cal does not want to sit stoney-still reading some chicken scratch. But that Book Woman keeps coming just the same. She comes in the rain. She comes in the snow. She comes right up the side of the mountain, and Cal knows that's not easy riding. And all just to lend his sister some books. Why, that woman must be plain foolish -- or is she braver than he ever thought?

That Book Woman is a rare and moving tale that honors a special part of American history -- the Pack Horse Librarians, who helped untold numbers of children see the stories amid the chicken scratch, and thus made them into lifetime readers.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Children's Book Review :: Waiting for the Biblioburro



From the first line, this story instantly transports the reader to the world of Ana, a little girl who lives in a rural village in Columbia. Ana prizes the single book she owns and longs to learn more about the world outside of her village. The only teacher moved out of the village and now there is no one to teach the children in the village.

One joyous morning, Ana hears the sounds of two burros approaching the village and to her amazement and delight they are carrying books! One incredible teacher and librarian has dedicated his time to bringing books to the villages in Columbia via burro.

This is a fascinating tale, imaginatively written yet highlighting the amazing true story of a man who delivers literacy, hopes and dreams from the perspective of the children he selflessly serves.

Read more about this real life hero.

Be Inspired,
Nicole




Product Description from Amazon.com:

Ana loves stories. She often makes them up to help her little brother fall asleep. But in her small village there are only a few books and she has read them all. One morning, Ana wakes up to the clip-clop of hooves, and there before her, is the most wonderful sight: a traveling library resting on the backs of two burros‑all the books a little girl could dream of, with enough stories to encourage her to create one of her own.

Inspired by the heroic efforts of real-life librarian Luis Soriano, award-winning picture book creators Monica Brown and John Parra introduce readers to the mobile library that journeys over mountains and through valleys to bring literacy and culture to rural Colombia, and to the children who wait for the BiblioBurro.
A portion of the proceeds from sales of this book support Luis Soriano’s BiblioBurro program.


Friday, March 23, 2012

Children Book Review :: The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians

Just imagine what it would be like to spend your days surrounded by books and those librarians that LOVE them and LOVE to SHARE.

My little guy asked, could he live in the library. Well, Yeah but where would you sleep?
We giggled and he said he would want me to stay, too!

It's all good and this wonderful book by Carla Morris, The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians, shared the wonderful adventures of what can happen with the help of each librarian.

Check out the book and let me know if you had any experience with your local librarian that just makes your SMILE. 


Who is your favorite reference librarian??

At our little town library I adore the librarians and the way they smile and just think he is so adorable when my child loves to touch every single book, turning pages on the floor or little desks, leave a little mess of books and they just don't mind :)

Happy Reading,

Jennifer


Product Description (from Amazon)

This humorous tale of a curious young boy and his single-minded quest for knowledge is a heartfelt and affectionate tribute to librarians everywhere.

Every day after school Melvin goes to the library. Everything has its place in the library and Melvin likes it that way. And his favorite people--Marge, Betty, and Leola--are always in their places, behind the reference desk.

When something interests Melvin, his librarian friends help him find lots and lots of books on the subject. When he collects creepy bugs in a jar, they help him identify, classify, and catalog the insects. When he is cast as the Enormous Eggplant in the school play, Betty reads aloud from Organic Gardening to help him find his motivation. As the years pass, Melvin can always find the answers to his questions--and a lot of fun--in the library. Then one day he goes off to college to learn new things and read new books. Will he leave the library and his friends behind forever?

Readers will enjoy Brad Sneed's delightful illustrations that colorfully capture the fun-loving spirit of Carla Morris's story about the contagious enthusiasm of learning.



Monday, March 19, 2012

Children Book Review :: Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile

Now this is a job I would have LOVED!! Give me some books let me ride around and visit my friends and share some stories. We enjoyed this book. I think I did more because I loved the way she made lemonade out of those lemons she was delivered.

When I hear about stories about overcoming and taking a stand on a belief - It makes me SMILE!!

Would you have started a book mobile? what would you have done? What is your story of making lemonade?

Tell us share your story at The Cubby Corner! We hope you are enjoying these wonderful books about our librarians. Don't forget to stop by and share a smile with your local librarian

Happy Reading, 

Jennifer



Product Description (from Amazon) 
Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile By Gloria Houston

When Dorothy was a young girl, she loved books, and she loved people, so she decided that she would become a librarian.

Dorothy's dearest wish is to be a librarian in a fine brick library just like the one she visited when she was small. But her new home in North Carolina has valleys and streams but no libraries, so Miss Dorothy and her neighbors decide to start a bookmobile. Instead of people coming to a fine brick library, Miss Dorothy can now bring the books to them—at school, on the farm, even once in the middle of a river!

Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile is an inspiring story about the love of books, the power of perseverance, and how a librarian can change people's lives.

Friday, March 9, 2012

CHILDREN BOOK REVIEW :: Traditions and Magical lands!!


We are a Irish family (well my side) and the luck of the Irish is fun to celebrate and read about so close to St. Patty's Day!

We enjoyed the beautiful stories in these books and hope you find them exciting and magical.

Check out these two books from publisher Barefoot Books.

Tales from Celtic Lands
Venture to the magical land of the Celtic peoples, where the spirits of the mountains, streams, seas and trees are all alive. The songs, blessing and folk tales in this collection are accompanied by notes on each story and a Celtic pronunciation guide. Book with double CDs include stories read by actress Niamh Cusack.

Ages 6 and up
Retold By: CaitlĂ­n Matthews
Illustrated By: Olwyn Whelan
Narrated By: Niamh Cusack


Tales from Old Ireland
Celebrate the wonder of Ireland with the seven enchanting stories in this captivating collection. The rich traditions of Irish storytelling are honored with larger-than-life characters, myths and legends around every bend, and plenty of magic. Book with double CDs include stories read by Grammy-nominated singer Maura O'Connell.

Ages 6 and up
Retold By: Malachy Doyle
Illustrated By: Niamh Sharkey
Narrated By: Maura O'Connell

Hope you all enjoy that corn beef and cabbage!!

Erin Go Bragh! 

Jennifer

ps :: If you like you can purchase copies of these wonderful books here enter TWENTY12 for a 20 % discount!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Book Review :: Ending February with more Friends, a toad & Frog and Gramma's hat box!

March has begun but I must finish our reviews on the wonderful selection from February. We celebrated friendships.

Grandparents, pick up CHICKEN SUNDAY by Patricia Polacco at the library (or here :). You will be delighted with the story of love and honesty. I love how the children created a blended family and cherished that tradition through out their lives.
Product Description (From Amazon)
After being initiated into a neighbor's family by a solemn backyard ceremony, a young Russian American girl and her African American brothers' determine to buy their gramma Eula a beautiful Easter hat. But their good intentions are misunderstood, until they discover just the right way to pay for the hat that Eula's had her eye on. A loving family story woven from the author's childhood.
And then let's not forget our Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel, two companions that take care of each with sincere care and affection. Do you have a friend that will stand on their head for a good story?

Product Description (from Amazon)From writing letters to going swimming, telling stories to finding lost buttons, Frog and Toad are always there for each other—just as best friends should be.
I hope you enjoyed the theme in February. Remember, practice friendship everyday and you will never be lonely in this beautiful world.

Happy reading,
Jennifer

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