Kids & Families

  • ¡Celebre el Día de los Muertos! Celebrate Day of the Dead!

    So, what is Día de los muertos and why would anyone want to celebrate death? México and other Latin American countries have an intimate and playful attitude towards the life/death relationship. Unlike the sober Memorial Day celebrated in the United States, the dead are invited to return and enjoy costumed parades and personalized altars festooned… Continue reading

  • More Staff Favorites for Children: Chapter Books II

    George’s Secret Key to the Universe, by Lucy and Stephen Hawking J HAWKING George’s parents do not approve of computers – or any other technological amenities.  So, when George stumbles into the lives of his neighbors, he discovers a brave new world.  Annie and her scientist father, Eric, have a computer which produces a portal… Continue reading

  • More Fall Staff Favorites for Children: Chapter Books

    1,001 Cranes, by Naomi Hirahara J HIRAHAR Folding 1,001 origami cranes was not Angie’s idea.  Her parents, on the verge of divorce, have sent her to her grandparents outside of L.A., where displays of good luck cranes are part of their floral business.  Angie is not a happy camper.  At first, she is all thumbs… Continue reading

  • Rabbits in myth and legend

    Thanks to its sweet face and impish nature, the rabbit has enchanted animal lovers, tormented farmers, and inspired legends and cautionary tales in cultures around the world since time immemorial. If you like rabbits, know someone who does, or are looking for a multicultural storytime idea, these traditional folktales available from The Seattle Public Library… Continue reading

  • Three excellent picture books

    My family recently discovered three new picture books that have become read-aloud favorites. Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields; illustrated by Sophie Blackall Six wombats with charming names like Jack and Pru go on walkabout. But a hungry dingo with a sack is following close behind when one by one each wombat gets distracted by… Continue reading

  • More Fall Staff Favorites for Children: Picture Books II

    Egg Drop, by Mini Grey E GREY Ever wonder what really happened to Humpty Dumpty? Well, in this modern day tale, an egg dreams of flying, finds a tall, tall tower, and WHEEEEE!,… he jumps!….SPLAT!!  In Humpty Dumpty fashion, his friends rush to put him back together, but, alas, to no avail. Read this book… Continue reading

  • ¡Viva! Celebrate Latin America’s Independence Days and National Hispanic Heritage Month with Children’s Books!

    September 15th through October 15th is designated as National Hispanic Heritage Month.  It is a time to celebrate the rich and diverse cultures of Latin America and the struggle for independence.    Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua celebrate their Independence Days on September 15th, Mexico on September 16th, and Chile on September 18th.… Continue reading

  • Fall Staff Favorites for Children: Picture Books

    Augustus and His Smile, by Catherine Rayner E RAYNER              Stunningly bold illustrations and simple text are artfully paired to tell the tale of a tiger who sets off to find his lost smile.  Augustus searches the jungles, mountains, deserts, and oceans of the world without success.  In the end, he discovers that his smile comes… Continue reading

  • School Days for the Grade School Crowd

    Though summer is still upon us, it is time to begin preparing our children for the start of yet another school year – both mentally and physically.  Some kids are raring to go, eager to go school shopping, looking forward to the return of structured days and the busy classroom social scene, while others are… Continue reading

  • Going to School for the First Time

    With summer winding down and September right around the corner, many children – and parents – are about to embark on a yearly ritual for the first time:  THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!  Starting school can be an exciting time, but it can also be cause for anxiety.  There are so many questions that need… Continue reading

  • Even More Summer Staff Favorites for Children

    Gully’s Travels, by Tor Seidler J SEIDLER Gully lives a happy life of luxury, residing in Manhattan and travelling to Paris with his professor. Everything changes when his master rejects him and he is forced to live a simpler life-style with a happy-go-lucky family. Gully tries to solve the riddle of why he was abandoned… Continue reading

  • More Summer Staff Favorites for Children: Historical Fiction

    The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had, by Kristin Levine J LEVINE Prepare to fall in love with the narrator of this story! Dit tells the tale of a memorable year in tiny Moundville, Alabama, during World War I, the year he meets and befriends Emma.  Dit provokes a blatantly racist sheriff to shoot at… Continue reading

  • More Summer Staff Favorites for Children: Fantasy Chapter Books

    Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep by Eleanor Farjeon J FARJEON Elsie Piddock was a born skipper from the age of three and, by the time she was seven, the fairies had heard of her.  They taught her the most fantastical skips anyone ever saw.  As Elsie grows older, her skipping is almost forgotten, becoming… Continue reading

  • The kids are getting restless!

    What are your kids – if you have kids – up to this summer? If I remember my own childhood summers aright, they’re probably getting just a little bit desperate about now, as the fireworks recede in the rearview mirror and the memory of being released from school is just as hazy as the awareness… Continue reading

  • More Summer Staff Favorites for Children: Picture Books

    Beware of the Frog by William Bee  E BEE Mrs. Collywobbles lives all alone on the edge of a dark, scary forest, with no one to protect her except for her pet . . . frog?  Yes, but this is no ordinary frog, as the Greedy Goblin, Smelly Troll, and Giant Hungry Ogre all discover,… Continue reading

  • Staff Favorites: Nonfiction for Children

    An Egg Is Quiet, by Dianna Aston J591.468 As86E This homage to eggs and the variety of land, air, and water creatures that begin their lives in them is as beautiful to look at as it is interesting to read.   ~ Jane, Central  Dinomania:  Things to Do with Dinosaurs, by Mick Manning and Brita Granström J745.5… Continue reading

  • The Oscars of children’s publishing

    For some of us, early this morning was as exciting as watching the Academy Awards. Thousands of us were glued to our laptops, trying to get into the American Library Association’s webcast of Youth Media Awards (and maybe there were some, like me, who missed the bus because of this obsession). Thousands more followed on… Continue reading

  • Happy New Year: The Year of the Ox

    The lunar New Year is celebrated in many countries in Asia. Not only do the Chinese communities around the world celebrate this, but the Koreans, the Vietnamese, the Mongolians and others consider this festivity one of the most important celebrations of the year.  The lunar New Year starts with the New Moon on the first… Continue reading