Monday, January 26, 2015

Tomorrow is Multicultural Children's Book Day! (Best Books of 2014 part 2)

Best Multicultural Books of 2014

Originally posted from:
http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2014/12/best-multicultural-books-of-2014/



Each year, a select diverse committee of experts from the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL) identifies the best in multicultural books. The mission of the CSMCL is to provide children, teachers, parents, educators, students, and librarians access to multicultural children’s books with high literary and artistic standards. CSMCL presents the Best Multicultural Children’s Books of 2014. Enjoy! This year’s list was compiled by Dr. Claudette Shackelford McLinn, Dr. Naomi Caldwell, Dr. Sujin Huggins, Ana- Elba Pavon, Lessa K. Pelayo-Lozada, and Elsa Marston.

BECAUSE THEY MARCHED: THE PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN FOR VOTING RIGHTS THAT CHANGED AMERICA, by Russell Freedman, 83 pages, published by Holiday House, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, nonfiction)

BLOSSOMING UNIVERSE OF VIOLET DIAMOND: THE, by Brenda Woods, 222 pages, published by Nancy Paulson Books, an imprint of Penguin Group, ©2014 (Upper elementary school/Middle school, fiction)

BROWN GIRL DREAMING, by Jacqueline Woodson, 336 pages, published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group, ©2014 (Upper elementary school/Middle school/High school, nonfiction/autobiography)

CROSSOVER, THE, by Kwame Alexander, 237 pages, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, fiction/novel in verse)

DREAMING IN INDIAN: CONTEMPORARY NATIVE AMERICAN VOICES, edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale, 128 pages, published by Annick Press, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, nonfiction/autobiography)

FREEDOM SUMMER MURDERS, THE, by Don Mitchell, 250 pages, published by Scholastic Press, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, nonfiction)

FRIDA & DIEGO: ART, LOVE, LIFE, by Catherine Reef, 168 pages, published by Clarion Books/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, nonfiction/collective biography)

GABI: A GIRL IN PIECES, by Isabel Quintero, 284 pages, published by Cinco Puntos Press, ©2014 (High school, fiction)

GREAT GREENE HEIST, THE, by Varian Johnson, 226 pages, published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc., ©2014 (Upper elementary school/Middle school, fiction)

GREEN IS A CHILE PEPPER: A BOOK OF COLORS, by Roseanne Greenfield Thong, illustrated by John Parra, 32 pages, published by Chronicle Books, ©2014 (Preschool/Elementary school, fiction, picture book)

HIDDEN LIKE ANNE FRANK: 14 TRUE STORIES OF SURVIVAL, by Marcel Prins & Peter Henk Steenhuis, translated by Laura Watkins, 211 pages, published by Arthur A. Levine Books, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, nonfiction)

HOUSE OF PURPLE CEDAR, by Tim Tingle, 326 pages, published by Cinco Punto Press, ©2014 (High school, fiction)

JOSEPHINE: THE DAZZLING LIFE OF JOSEPHINE BAKER, by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson, unpaged, published by Chronicle Books, ©2014 (Elementary school/Middle school/High school, nonfiction/biography)

KING FOR A DAY, by Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by Christiane Kromer, 32 pages, published by Lee &Low Books, Inc., ©2014 (Preschool/Elementary school, fiction, picture book)

LITTLE MELBA AND HER BIG TROMBONE, by Katherine Russell-Brown, illustrated by Frank Morrison, 34 pages, published by Lee &Low Books, Inc., ©2014 (Elementary school, nonfiction/biography, picture book)

LITTLE ROJA RIDING HOOD, by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by Susan Guevara, 32 pages, published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, ©2014 (Preschool/Elementary school, fiction, picture book)

MADMAN OF PINEY WOODS, THE, by Christopher Paul Curtis, 363 pages, published by Scholastic Press, ©2014 (Upper elementary school/Middle school, fiction)

MALALA: A BRAVE GIRL FROM PAKISTAN & IQBAL: A BRAVE BOY FROM PAKISTAN, (Two stories in one book) by Jeanette Winter, 20 pages each, published by Beach Lane Books, ©2014 (Elementary school, nonfiction/biography)

NOT MY GIRL, by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, art by Gabrielle Grimard, 34 pages, published by Annick Press, ©2014 (Elementary school, nonfiction/autobiography)

PORT CHICAGO 50, THE,: DISASTER, MUTINY, AND THE FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, by Steve Sheinkin, 200 pages, published by Roaring Book Press, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, nonfiction)

RED PENCIL, THE, by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Shane W. Evans, 308 pages, published by Little, Brown and Company, ©2014 (Upper elementary school/Middle school, nonfiction)

REVOLUTION, by Deborah Wiles, 495 pages, published by Scholastic Press, ©2014 (Upper elementary school/Middle school, fiction/biography)

SEARCHING FOR SARA RECTOR, by Tonya Bolden, 76 pages, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, ©2014 (Upper elementary school/Middle school, nonfiction/biography)

SECRETS OF THE TERRA-COTTA SOLDIER, by Ying Chang Compestine and Vinson Compestine, 224 pages, published by Amulet Books, ©2014 (Upper elementary school/Middle school, fiction)

SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL: SYLVIA MENDEZ & HER FAMILY’S FLIGHT FOR DESEGREGATION, written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, 40 pages, published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, ©2014 (Elementary school, nonfiction, picture book)

SHADOW HERO, THE, by Gene Luen Yang, art by Sonny Liew, 158 pages, published by First Second, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, graphic novel, fiction)

SILVER PEOPLE: VOICES FROM THE PANANA CANAL, by Margarita Engle, 260 pages, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, fiction/novel in verse)

STRIKE: THE FARM WORKERS’ FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS, by Larry Dane Brimner, 172 pages, published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Highlights, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, nonfiction)

TIME TO DANCE, A, by Padma Venkatraman, 307 pages, published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group, ©2014 (Middle school/High school, fiction/novel in verse)

TWENTY-TWO CENTS: MUHAMMAD YUNUS AND THE VILLAGE BANK, by Paula Yoo, illustrated by Jamel Akib, 40 pages, published by Lee & Low Books Inc., ©2014 (Elementary school, nonfiction/biography)

VIVA FRIDA, by Yuyi Morales, photographs by Tim O’Meara, 34 pages, published by Roaring Book Press, ©2014 (Elementary school, nonfiction/biography)

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Best Books of 2014 part 1

While we wait for the announcement of the winners of the Youth Media Awards (Monday February 2), let's take a look at some of the best children's and young adult books of 2014, as collected by some of our favorite publications.

Horn Book Fanfare 2014
http://www.hbook.com/2014/12/choosing-books/horn-book-magazine/horn-book-fanfare-2014/#_

School Library Journal's Best of 2014
http://www.slj.com/best-books-2014/

New York Times Notable Children's Books of 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/07/books/review/notable-childrens-books-of-2014.html
 
Kirkus Best Children's Books of 2014
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/issue/best-of-2014/section/children/

Kirkus Best Teen Books of 2014
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/issue/best-of-2014/section/teen/

Happy reading!





Monday, January 12, 2015

App recommendations from WFL: Interactive Books!

Each month Children's Librarians at the Wellesley Free Library put together a list of top recommended and reviewed apps for kids in a particular category.  This list is available in a paper copy in the Children's Room, as well as online.  We compile all of this, and more, on our Apps page at http://www.wellesleyfreelibrary.org/Childrens/Apps.html.

Every couple of months our theme is Interactive Books, as this is a category with so many great apps that it deserves repeating!  Check out our board of Interactive Book apps.  The most recent recommendations (this month's list) are the top 6 on the board: Meet Millie, How I became a pirate, Grendel's Great Escape, Fiona and the Fog, Fancy Hat, and Dino-Store!


We are also always happy to answer specific questions or create custom app-list for your and your child's individual needs!

Monday, January 5, 2015

Ballet Storytime

Where have all our ballet books been?



Why at ballet storytime, of course!

On January 2, 30 young dancers joined us for a special ballet storytime, where they did a ballerina craft,


read ballet books, including I am a Ballerina, Brontorina, Angelina Ballerina, and My Ballet Class,


and best of all, had a special visit from Julia, a dancer with the Boston Ballet School!  She showed us how to stand in the five ballet positions, and how to stretch and twirl!