Resolve to Discover Great Books!
by Suzanne Harrison-Thomas
Every New Year begins with the best intentions. Burning off those
extra holiday pounds, vowing to be more organized or promising to
make more time for yourself are all noble resolutions but, alas, can
easily fall by the wayside. How about committing to an enjoyable endeavor that enhances
something you are already doing, and doing well? Resolve to discover
some great books and authors you and your child have never shared
before.
Explore your library and bookstores and try something different.
Are you always borrowing the same three books or subjects from the
library? Do you know every word to The Very Hungry Caterpillar
so
well that you barely have to look at the pages when sharing it with
your child? Try some of these classic and “new” classic authors and
titles to freshen up your reading repertoire.
 Read anything by Mo Willems. If you and your family haven’t
experienced the unadulterated silliness of his Pigeon books, you are
missing out. This former Sesame Street writer brings a child’s sense
of the ridiculous-but-true with the perfect amount of grown-up
insight to keep both parents and children howling.
All parents will be able to sympathize with the dad’s dilemma in
Willems’ Caldecott-honor book Knuffle Bunny, while all kids will
enjoy being two steps ahead of him. His easy reader series Elephant
& Piggie melds sophisticated slapstick, priceless facial expressions
and simple, minimal vocabulary to tell true stories of friendship.
His books appeal to a wide range of ages and the humor can be
appreciated on many levels.
If your little princess has already enjoyed the company of Kevin
Henkes’ irrepressible mouse, Lilly, she will certainly find a
kindred spirit in Jane O’Connor’s Fancy Nancy books. These New York
Times bestsellers already have quite a following, so if you have a
girl in your life that enjoys sparkly costumes and mom’s high heels,
she must be introduced to Nancy.
 British author/illustrator Mini Grey’s picture books have great
visual appeal and a fast action-packed pace, almost as if they were
animated. Better appreciated by ages six and up, the sight gags and
wry humor in Traction Man is Here, the adventures of a superhero
action figure, and The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon, the
even more far-fetched adventures of the nursery rhyme duo, are fun
books to share. And remember to pore over those illustrations
together to really appreciate the text.
Another graphic-packed author is Kevin O’Malley, author of
picture book adventures with major kid appeal. Whether it’s
dinosaurs battling on distant planets, the answer to the age-old
question, “Why did that chicken cross the road?” or two kids
battling back and forth with their own story ideas (why can’t a
princess and a motorcycle dude be part of the same story?), these
picture books for the elementary school age are a great starting
point for your reluctant reader.
The Highly Scientific Notebooks of Phineas L. MacGuire by Frances
O’Roark Dowell is a new series for those who have exhausted, or just
outgrown, the Magic Tree House or Horrible Harry series. Much like
the MTH series blends geography and science into the plots, Mac, as
our title character is known, weaves scientific observations and
experiments into his stories. So far there are only two in the
series, but this wonderful blend of fiction for third through fifth
graders actually includes the experiments mentioned in the books for
kids and their adults to do together.
At your next library visit, don’t forget to hit those non-fiction
shelves. So many subjects of interest to kids are being published as
easy readers and for emergent readers, this is a wonderful
opportunity to introduce new vocabulary and satiate your child’s
boundless curiosity. Next time you find yourself reading The Very
Hungry Caterpillar, you can share some age-appropriate non-fiction
about caterpillars, too, and really extend your special time
together. Now that’s a New Year’s resolution that should be easy,
and a pleasure, to keep.
Events at the Milford Public Library
Toddler Time is held every Wednesday at 10 and 11 a.m. for ages
two and under. Participants can sing, share fingerplays and read
stories in a relaxed, friendly environment.
Preschool Storyhour is held every Monday and Tuesday at 10 a.m.
for children ages three and up, who can visit the library for books,
songs and a craft. Please note that there is no storytime on
Tuesday, January 1 or Monday, January 21.
A Saturday Movie Morning will be held on January 19 at 10:30 a.m.
The entire family will enjoy this story about the famous sheep pig.
Come in out of the cold, and warm your heart!
The Milford Public Library is located at 57 New Haven Avenue in
Milford. For more information contact the Children’s Department at
203-783-3312, or visit
www.ci.milford.ct.us.
Suzanne Harrison-Thomas is the Children’s Librarian for the
Milford Public Library.
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