Jane L.S.

  • Books for Giving 2009 – Children’s Picture Books

    Picture books are the eye candy of the book world.  When you find a book where the story and illustrations are perfectly matched and equal in excellence, you know you have a keeper.  With so many tantalizing choices, it is difficult to select just a few, but the following titles are exceptional – the kind… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving 2009 – Children’s Classics

    When giving books, it is hard to go wrong with a classic.  This year, there are many classic tales featuring new and endearing interpretations and illustrations that would make excellent gifts for the children on your list.  Here are some choices that that will be remembered and cherished into adulthood:   Collections: The Big Book for… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving 2009 – Children’s Multicultural Books

    There are many wonderful books that explore the rich diversity of cultures around the world. Share a book with a child and introduce perspectives from other cultures or celebrate traditional tales and cultural experiences from your own background.  Here are some of this year’s best:   Story Collections: The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales, retold by… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving 2009 – Children’s Chapter Books

    Books are a wonderful gift any time of year. When asked what you have held on to from your childhood, it is likely that a favorite book will be included on your list. Holidays are a perfect time to connect young readers with books that make a lasting impression. Parents, grandparents, and others often ask… Continue reading

  • Learning to Be Thankful

    Parents often come into the library looking for books that will help their children learn to share, make friends, use better manners, get involved in community service, etc. With Thanksgiving right around the corner, there are lots of opportunities to share values and demonstrate kindness through actions, giving children living examples of thoughtful behaviors that… Continue reading

  • Veteran’s Day: What it Means for Children Today

    Veteran’s Day has become a very tangible holiday. Not so long ago, most children did not have a close, personal connection to a veteran. Veterans of war were people who were older, grandparents or distant relatives who had served in wars that children could not remember or identify with. It was a fuzzy concept; a day off from school… Continue reading

  • Snuggle Up and Sleep Like a Bear

    Is fall weather starting to get to you? Are the kids feeling the effects of too many windy, rainy days? How about snuggling up in a blanket cave with your cubs and hibernating for an afternoon of reading, sleeping and bonding?  Here are a few books that will help to get you settled in and… Continue reading

  • Halloween Reads to Share with Children

    In just a few days, there will be goblins, ghosts, superheroes, villains, and flying broomsticks knocking at your door and demanding your attention with shouts of “Trick-or-Treat!”  Stretch out the excitement and rev up the anticipation with nightly bedtime stories featuring the highlights of fall routines, cool weather changes, and a little spookiness, just for fun!  Here are several new titles… Continue reading

  • ¡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

  • ¡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

  • 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

  • Great Fantasy Audiobooks for the Road

    Parents everywhere are looking for solutions to their annual summer dilemma…  “How do we find audiobooks that the entire family – adults included – can enjoy for that long car/airplane/boat trip?”  Here are a few suggestions that are guaranteed to entertain:  The Amulet of Samarkand, by Johnathan Stroud Read by Simon Jones CDJ St892A Nathaniel,… Continue reading

  • Best audiobooks for family travel

    You are about to embark on that ever-romanticized ritual, the family road trip.  The bags are packed, the car has a full tank and tires have air.  Now, what about entertainment for the backseat crowd?  Having a selection of audio stories may be key to maintaining a zen-like, peaceful atmosphere in your car while you… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Board Books for Children

    One of the best gifts you can give to a child is a lifelong love of reading, and it is never too early to start. Plant a reading seed and watch it grow! Here are some fun suggestions for the youngest “readers” on your gift list: Tractor, Tractor by David Bedford Hard-working farm tractors provide… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Nonfiction for Children

    Here are a few of our children’s librarians’ choices for great nonfiction books for children: Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteauby Jennifer Berne This dreamy picture book biography tells the story of the young French boy who fell in love with the sea and grew up to become the world’s most famous oceanographer.  L Is… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Children’s Picture Books

    Books are the gift that adults most often remember from their childhood (“I am looking for a book I read when I was little. I think that the cover was blue and there was something about a pig… or maybe it was a sheep…”), and are often the only childhood “toy” that people hold onto… Continue reading

  • Books for Giving: Chapter Books for Children

    It’s exciting to see the pride and curiosity children experience when reading chapter books independently. Of course, reading chapter books together with an adult is a memory to be treasured. Here are some chapter books that make excellent choices for wanting to read more, more, more! Baseball Crazy: Ten Short Stories that Cover All the… Continue reading