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Interested in finding books about a particular subject?
Want book suggestions for a particular age level, or for a particular
genre, such as fantasy or science fiction? Need books dealing with an
important life event, like the first day of school? We might be able
to help. We've put together a number of bibliographies, or lists
of books, which may assist you in finding materials you want or need.
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Interested in knowing which children's books received awards and medals, or
have been named on special "Best Book lists?
Our Children's Book Award page lists websites for many important awards, from
Florida's Sunshine State Young Reader's Program annual lists through the
Newbery and Caldecott Medals, to important awards given in Great Britain and
Canada.
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If you're looking for book suggestions, we have some
reviews our staff has written which might lead you to try some tales you
might not know about.
 Guys From
Space by Daniel Pinkwater (E Pin) If aliens
landed in your backyard and invited you to go for a ride in their
spaceship, what would you do? Ask your mother, of course.
The story makes a great read-aloud because it are laughs for children
and adults. The fun comes from exploring a science fiction adventure
through a kid’s point of view. But is this just backyard fun or is this
boy really an interstellar diplomat?
I enjoy the kind of science fiction that is clever and believable enough
to make you doubt your routine view of the world. I like stories that
 suggest how nice the world could be if we would share what we have and what we know. _ Ms. Deborah
The Penderwicks : a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very
interesting boy by Jeanne Birdsall (JF Bird)
The four utterly enchanting Penderwick sisters have a memorable summer
vacation with their widowed father at a cabin on an estate in the
Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts.
Rosalyn,12, is the mother figure
who supplies much of the common sense for the family; 11-year-old Skye
is the tomboy with a fierce temper; Jane, 10, is a somewhat
absent-minded writer-to-be prone to bouts of romantic dreaminess; and
4-year-old Batty rarely talks and always wears her butterfly wings. When
the foursome meets Jeffrey, the son of the snobbish estate owner, the
adventures begin. By the end of the summer the girls have helped Jeffrey
to escape a despised future at a military school in favor of training as
a musician, and they’ve made a lifelong friend.
The Penderwick girls are wonderful characters whose good intentions
don’t always achieve the results the girls desire. This was Birdsall’s
first book, and it deservedly won her the 2005 National Book Award.
Fortunately, she’s now writing a follow-up book about the Penderwick
family (with “ideas
 for two more after that”), so this won’t be our last
visit with this lively clan. I’m looking forward to the experience. _
Mr. Gary
Saffy’s Angel
by Hilary McKay (JF McK)
In the Casson family, all the children are named after colors of paint.
The oldest is Cadmium (called Caddy), then Saffron (Saffy), Indigo, the
only boy, and Rose. The mom is an artist, and is usually in the shed
painting. The dad is an artist, and spends most of the week in London,
in his studio.
Caddy loves animals, and has hamsters in the house and
guinea pigs in the yard. Indigo is trying to get over his deepest fears,
and sits in the second floor window with his legs hanging out to get
over his fear of heights. Rose creates very elaborate art projects.
When Grandad dies, his will states that Saffy is to inherit “her angel.”
Saffy and her best friend Sarah plot to find Saffy’s angel, with a trip,
a stowaway, and the unwitting help of Sarah’s parents. The story of this
unusual, extremely likable family continues in three other novels
 about
the Casson family -- Indigo’s Star, Permanent Rose, and Caddy Ever
After.
_ Ms. Julia
Tuesday
by David Wiesner (E Wie)
There are almost no words in this book, mostly pictures. It is about an
unusual and weird thing that happens one day at around 8 p.m.; it was,
you guessed it, a Tuesday.
Frogs are quietly sleeping on their lily pads
when, suddenly, they wake up to find themselves FLYING on their pads.
The frogs fly into town and as they begin getting used to this “flying
thing” they begin to have fun, flying upside down, chasing crows, flying
through people’s yards and messing up the laundry on the line, playing
with the TV remote while an elderly lady nods off, and so on.
Seeing the
expressions on the frogs always makes me laugh. My favorite picture is
when on frog comes head to head with a dog, the dog takes off after a
very scared frog but, as you turn the page, a bunch of frogs on their
lily pads are following the dog, who is scared out of his mind! It all
ends when the sun comes out. But then, the next Tuesday at around 7:58
p.m. another type of animals begins to fly… Read Tuesday to find out
what kind of animal. But I’ve always wondered what happens after the
story ends and the
 other animals being to fly, and what will happen the
Tuesday after that? I’d like to read more books like this one!
_
Ms. Maria
Skippyjon Jones
By Judy Schachner
Skippyjon Jones is about a very imaginative Siamese kitten. Skippyjon
likes to pretend, and his favorite thing to pretend to be is a heroic,
Zorro-like Chihuahua. His mama wishes he would just learn to act like a
cat. In this book, Skippyjon is sent to his room and has a wild
adventure as his alter-ego, Skippito Bandito.
He spends much of the
adventure singing rhymes interspersed with Spanish words (because he’s a
Chihuahua). The rhymes are catchy and absolutely hilarious. Even though
the characters are cats, their personalities are very realistic – the
hyperactive over-imaginative little boy and his mama, worn out from
dealing with him. I love this book because it makes me laugh out loud,
has catchy rhymes, and is just pure fun. There is a sequel to the book,
“Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse,” which is just as fun ny. I can’t wait
to read the next one, “Skippyjon Jones in Mummy Trouble,” out this
month.
_
Ms. Jennifer
Mrs
Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien J F OBR
There have been rumors about the rats on Mr. Fitzgibbon's farm for a
while. They seem larger and healthier than "normal" rats. They also seem
to be working together on tasks. Just what IS going on in that nest
under the rosebush? Find out the answer along with Mrs. Frisby, the
mouse, as she seeks out the rats to help her with a situation that will
mean life or death for her son!
This is one of my all-time favorite books! The story of the rats and
their secret lives was fascinating to read. When you combine that with
Mrs. Frisby's struggle to keep her son alive you've got an amazing
story. I read this book aloud to every one of my classes when I was a
teacher. It was always a favorite of theirs too.
_
Mr. Bart
Also, pick the kind of book you're interested in and read these reviews
and descriptions.
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Leon County Home Page
ould
you like some suggestions about good books to read? Do you want to
know what children's books won this year's awards? Are you trying to find
out when the next Harry Potter book will be released? Whatever your
interests are, if they involve books and reading you can probably find
some help on this page.
