children’s fiction
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Words Can Move People
From whence comes a writer? Children’s award winning author Cynthia Lord told us, a 600+ audience of teachers and librarians, at a recent Children’s Literature Conference at Western Washington University in Bellingham, that she grew up loving words in a family that loved math. She said she aspired to be a writer when she witnessed… Continue reading
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Summer Novels for Kids Full of Hope and Glory
~posted by Diane There is a memorable last scene in the movie Hope and Glory when the school blows up, thanks to German bombs in WWII. The moment of jubilation and absolute glee when the little boy knows there is no school to go to is not unlike that second when the last bell rings, dismissing kids for summer vacation.… Continue reading
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Fantasy Checklist Challenge: Children’s Books
~posted by Selby G. All ages love the possibilities bound in the pages of a fantastical book and children are no different. Some of the most creative and entertaining fantasy books I have read were written for kids. So don’t let the age vector deter you. The books in this post may be geared towards… Continue reading
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Family Reads: Trains and Trails
Summer is finally here! Kids are out of school and vacations are under way, which means it’s a great time for kids to stock up on some great summer reads. I always love to start summer with a grand adventure, and I think many kids will as well. Kenneth Oppel’s The Boundless fits the bill… Continue reading
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Science Fiction Fridays: 5 sci-fi reads our children’s librarians love
Red Lantern’s Revenge by Michael Acampora It’s up to the Green Lanterns Corps to save the underground seas of Mars from the Red Lanterns and the fate of Earth ‘s own polluted oceans hangs in the balance. Torn By Margaret Haddix Jonah and Katherine travel back in time to 1611 to save John Hudson, the son… Continue reading
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Science Fiction Fridays: The fantastic folly of youth
It’s really not a secret that some of the best science fiction written in the past ten years has been classified as young adult. While most people acknowledge the distinction between adult and young adult science fiction does not denote quality, I find that few science fiction fans read juvenile genre fiction, besides some of the… Continue reading
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Little people up to no good (part 2): the modern tiny person
Were you thrilled when Arrietty came out, but now want new tiny adventures? Well, look no further! The Bromeliad trilogy by Terry Pratchett (1989) I’ve tried very hard to stick to tiny people who are more people than fairy, and of all of Pratchett’s tiny people, the Nomes of the Bromeliad best meet that criteria.… Continue reading
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Little people up to no good (part 1): the classics
Have you ever noticed how many books there are about the lives of tiny people? Jonathan Swift pretty much started it with Gulliver’s Travels (1726), but the conceit of itty bitty humans really seems to have taken off from there. Continue reading
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Sneak peek at the 2013 Global Reading Challenge
Today on Shelf Talk we are featuring a special booktalk preview of all of the titles for the 2013 Global Reading Challenge! So buckle your safety belt and get your eyes ready for a new year of awesome reads. Continue reading
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Staff Favorites: Two children’s novels
The Farwalker’s Quest by Joni Sensel When Ariel and Zeke find a telling dart, an ancient form of communication, it catapults them on a perilous quest to discover the origin of the dart and, as a result, their own destinies. Local author Joni Sensel paints a vivid post-apocalyptic world with strong characters and a difficult… Continue reading