What WFL Children's Librarians are reading (and loving) - March 2015

Do you ever wonder what the WFL Children's Librarians are reading?  While we can't read every Children's and Youth book out there, we try to keep up with the best of the best, the most popular books, and also those that interest us personally!

Here are some books that I've read recently (and enjoyed):

A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka - You usually can't go wrong with a Caldecott Medal winner, but some parents get intimida
ted by a book with no pictures.  My advice - trust yourself as a storyteller!  Wordless picture book are a great way of interacting with your child while reading.  If your child is fairly verbal, ask them to help you tell the story.  Ask them questions about the pictures and what is happening on each page.  Doing this will help develop their vocabulary and increase their narrative (storytelling) skills.  Plus, with wordless books each time you read it can be different!  Now back to Daisy.  This is a lovely and colorful book about a dog (Daisy) who has a treasured red ball.  Unfortunately Daisy must cope with the loss of her ball when another dog pops it.  But have no fear, this book has a happy ending.  The story is simple and sweet, and kids of all ages who have lost a beloved toy, or even those who have not, will sympathize with sweet Daisy.

Sidekicks by Dan Santat - Dan Santat is the creator of the Disney show "The Replacements" and most recently the author and illustrator of the 2015 Caldecott Medal winner "The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend."  Somewhere in between, Santat wrote Sidekicks, a fun graphic novel for kids ages 8 and up.  Sidekicks is a superhero comic with a twist: Captain Amazing, an aging superhero, is looking for a new sidekick and his eclectic group of pets are determined to win the role.  The book is funny, action-packed, and heart-warming too.  Great for the superhero-fans who are getting beyond Batman first readers, the animal lovers, and any reader who likes a satisfying story where the good guys win in the end.

Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan - After reading this book I suffered from severe book-mourning.  That is, I didn't want to read any other book because this one had been so good.  At the age of 12, Willow Chance's parents both die in a car crash, leaving her to fend for herself in a world that often doesn't understand her.  She is an incredibly brilliant girl but has a hard time relating to other people.  She makes her way through her loss with the unexpected friendships she finds in an unqualified school counselor, a family keeping a secret, and a friendly cab driver.  The ending wraps up so nicely that in any other book it would seem too easy, too neat, but readers will be rooting so hard for Willow that this won't even cross their minds.  Definitely a winner for middle grade and middle school readers who like moving realistic fiction.