Give a Kid a Book!
by Elizabeth McKay
Like many others in my profession, I have a bit of a reputation
as a "book giver" to recipients of all ages, not just for holidays,
but for any gift-giving occasion. A trip to your local bookseller
will show that there are more titles for kids and teens to choose
from than ever before, so choosing the right one for the right
reader can sometimes be a challenge. Here are some of my favorites
from the past year.
It’s never too early to start reading, so don’t forget the babies
and preschoolers on your gift lists! Two real stand-outs for the
very young include Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett
and Mother Goose Numbers on the Loose by Leo and Diane
Dillon.
In Orange Pear Apple Bear, Gravett manages to tell the
entire story using only the four words of the title and her charming
illustrations, and leaves young listeners hungry for a snack of
their own. The Dillons’ Mother Goose collection focuses on
rhymes having to do with numbers, so it’s a great gift even for kids
who may already have been introduced to Mother Goose’s other
collections.
 The
new picture book by Bob Graham, Dimity Dumpty: The Story of
Humpty’s Little Sister, is a great choice for the
sophisticated preschooler already familiar with Humpty’s tale and
ready for the backstory of his life with the Tumbling Dumpties and
the role his heroic sister had to play in getting him put back
together again.
Author and illustrator Mo Willems rose to fame writing picture
books, most notably Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, but
this year he’s begun a new series of beginning readers starring
Gerald (the Elephant) and Piggie. The first two books are Today I
Will Fly!, in which Piggie decides he’s going to fly despite
Gerald’s nay-saying, and My Friend is Sad, where Piggie does
his best to cheer up Gerald when he’s feeling blue. If you give
these titles, expect requests for more books about this duo.
Newly confident readers just beginning to read longer chapter
books will enjoy The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker.
Clementine thinks she is the only one in her third grade class
without an act for the upcoming "Talent-palooza."
Veteran author Natalie Babbitt’s new book Jack Plank Tells
Tales is another good choice for third and fourth grade readers.
After years of plundering and pillaging, Jack decides he just isn’t
cut out for the pirate life and retires to the seaside village of
Saltwash, where he finds an entirely new line of work.
 Older chapter book readers have lots of choices this season as
well. In The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles, the
Little Leaguers of Hallelujah, Mississippi have to figure out how
they can possibly manage to play their annual (and only) game of the
summer on Independence Day, which happens to be at the exact same
time as the county’s anniversary pageant.
Fantasy readers will lose themselves in The New Policeman
by Kate Thompson. In the town of Kinvara time is literally running
out, leaking through a hole from modern Ireland into the ancient
land of Tir na n’Og. When J.J.’s mother tells him that all she wants
for her birthday is more time, he sets out to get some for her and
disappears.
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is one of
the most innovative and original books of the year. The story is
told equally through words and pictures, resulting in a whole new
format of something more than a novel but not exactly a graphic
novel either, definitely in a class by itself and a fabulous choice
for grades four and up.
 If you’ve got an information junkie on your list, you may want to
try some non-fiction titles. Aspiring scientists will love
Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings by
Douglas Florian. Florian’s very funny poems give lots of good facts
about the planets, including poor demoted Pluto. For readers with a
sense of social conscience, the children’s adaptation of Al Gore’s
An Inconvenient Truth: the Crisis of Global Warming is
timely, clearly written and informative.
When in doubt about buying for anyone on your list, have a trial
look at all of these titles at your local library!
Events at The Ferguson Library
The Ferguson Library features a variety of programs for all ages
of children and teens. Highlights this month include a
holiday-themed storycraft for ages 3-8 on Saturday, December 8 at 11
a.m. and a drop-in storytime for babies on Tuesday, December 11 at
11 a.m.
There will be a special presentation of the Spring Valley Puppet
Theater’s production of A Holiday Fantasy, for ages 6 and up, on
Thursday, December 27 at 2 p.m.
A teen book discussion of The Golden Compass by Philip
Pullman will take place on Thursday, December 27 at 7 p.m. for kids
in grades six and up.
The Ferguson Library is located at One Public Library Plaza in
Stamford. For more information on the library’s programs this month
and throughout the year, call 203-964-1000 or visit
www.fergusonlibrary.org.
Elizabeth McKay is the Youth Services Librarian for The
Ferguson Library in Stamford and the Children’s Co-Chair of the
Connecticut Library Association.
|
