Tag Archives: Rachel J.

Reading Advent Calendar

Posted on by

Start a new tradition this year and read a different holiday book every night this December until Christmas. Here are some suggestions from our children’s librarians.

  1. Dream Snow by Eric Carle
  2. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
  3. The Nutcracker by Susan Jeffers
  4. Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson
  5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
  6. Frosty the Snowman by Steve Nelson
  7. Are You Grumpy, Santa? By Greg Spiridellis
  8. A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles Schulz
  9. Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
  10. Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight? By Jarry Pallotta
  11. Christmas Time by Gail Gibbons
  12. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
  13. Christmas Cookies by Amy Rosenthal
  14. Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O’Connor
  15. Santa is Coming to Indiana by Steve Smallman
  16. Where’s Is Baby’s Christmas Present? by Karen Katz
  17. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and Brett Helquist
  18. The Little Match Girl by Jerry Pinkney
  19. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May
  20. 12 Days of Christmas by Rachel Isadora
  21. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus by Francis Church
  22. I Spy Christmas: a Book of Christmas Riddles by Jean Marzollo
  23. But What if There’s No Chimney? By Emily Thompson
  24. The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore

Review: Turtles All the Way Down

Posted on by

Turtles All the Way Down
by John Green
4 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads: Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts.

I did not let this book sit unopened very long. Green hooked me, and I got caught up in Aza’s life, wondering about her romance with her old childhood friend Davis and whether she would solve the mystery of the disappearance of Davis’s father. Since I am an Indianapolis native myself, I love the references to White River, Pogue’s Run, 465, and the Applebee’s at 86th and Ditch. (Very few people could make me want to eat at Applebee’s, but John Green may have done it.)

Green writes about his character’s issues with anxiety and obsessive compulsion with the kindness of a healthy friend who understands what it’s like to live in an unhealthy mind. I find the illustration that Green uses very fitting- that dealing with severe anxiety is like trying to find your way through complete darkness, but typically the flashlight of sanity can come back on and light the way. And so it is with this book – we get awash in Aza’s downward spiral of anxiety only to get brought back up by the pull of the story of her life. And also unexpectedly find out a fair amount about tuataras at the same time.

 

Read-alikes

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

Review: Dr. Seuss’s ABC

Posted on by

Dr. Seuss’s ABC
by Dr. Seuss
5 stars

March 2 is Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Libraries, schools, and community centers honor Dr. Seuss on this day by celebrating “Read Across America Day.”  While any type of reading is encouraged on Read Across America Day, many people use this day to also celebrate Dr. Seuss and his books. Seuss’s books are classics and many of us have personal memories associated with his books. Miss Ginger memorized “The Cat in the Hat” after reading it over and over to her sons. Miss Katherine loved reading “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” with her brother. Miss Anne loves Yertle the Turtle because she remembers reading it over and over again with her brother. (They also had a pond with turtles.)

My own personal favorite book is “Dr. Seuss’s ABC.” The rhymes and illustrations are so silly – they always made my siblings laugh. I could always get my little sister to laugh when we got to the letter u. “Big U, little u, what begins with U? Uncle Ubb’s umbrella and his underwear, too.” Of course, since this section was about underwear, it was always a big hit. I used to say, “Uncle Ubb’s umbrella and his underwear, too!” to my sister whenever she was crying to cheer her up and get a smile.

Besides being fun and silly, Dr. Seuss books are great for all ages. They have a great rhythm that babies and toddlers enjoy listening to. Most Seuss books are filled with “nonsense” words that make kids laugh, but they also are good way to see if your beginning readers can decode what they are reading by using phonics. They will learn to sound out words that they don’t recognize, such as “Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz.” While reading the books together, you can also see if your child can find the rhyming words such as cat-hat, and Sam-ham. This is a good way to develop your child’s phonological awareness, or the knowledge of the sounds that words make.

Reading Dr. Seuss books is a great way to bond with your child and develop lasting memories. Stop by GPL and see if you can find your own favorite this month.

Read-alikes

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin

Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss