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Home | Grab a Book—It's National Library Week

Grab a Book—It's National Library Week

This week (April 13–19) is National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians, and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide. I know that some libraries in Marin are having some special programs to celebrate National Library Week. It’s also a great time to spend more time reading and enjoying books with your children. I love to go to the library for storytime and pick out some unique and fun books to read with my children. Listed below are a few book recommendations from the American Library Association (ALA). Go to their website for more 2009 notable children’s books.

For the younger reader:

A Vistor for Bear by Bonny Becker
The simple backdrop of bear’s forest home sets the stage for a visit from the persistent and irritating mouse who insists the two will become friends.

Are You Ready to Play Outside? by Mo Willems
Easily approachable text and expressive drawings tell the story of Piggie and Gerald who experience the ups and downs of a rainy day. (2009 Geisel Award Book).

Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book by Yuyi Morales
Vibrant jewel-tone colors masterfully capture the story of Señor Calavera’s quest to find the perfect birthday gift for Grandma Beetle. Part ghost story, part trickster tale, the book features motifs from Mexican culture that represent each letter of the Spanish alphabet. (2009 Belpré Illustrator Award Book and Author Honor Book)

The Hinky Pink  by Megan McDonald
Until the young seamstress Anabel finds the perfect bed for the Hobbledy-gob Hinky-Pink, she will get no sleep and the Princess’s dress will never be ready in time for the ball.

What's Up, Duck? by Tad Hills
Adapting Duck and Goose for the board book crowd, Hills whimsically presents concepts such as loud and quiet, far and near, and heavy and light in clear, child-appealing watercolors.

For middle readers:

Masterpiece by Elise Broach
An artistic beetle with a yen for adventure and a lonely 11-year-old boy team up to catch the thief who has stolen a priceless Albrecht Durer from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant
Sweet’s mixed-media collage and primitive watercolors flow seamlessly with Bryant’s prose to reveal the important bits and pieces of Williams’ ordinary, yet extraordinary, life as a doctor and poet.  (2009 Caldecott Honor Book)

Rapunzel’s Revenge by Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale
In a vibrantly illustrated graphic novel set in a make-believe frontier land, an untraditional Rapunzel escapes the tower, uses her long braids as weapons, and takes revenge on the wicked Mother Gothel.

For more book recommendations for children of all ages, go the American Library Association website.