The last flyer of the year! And let’s get on with it promptly, since your teachers probably want those back soon so they can get the shipments in before the – gulp – end of the year!
lfYou Are My Sunshine – a cute version of the little love song, done in board book form for sharing with tiny kids. Sweet!
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Animals – Animals! Kids love animals! And National
Geographic puts together a nicely-leveled, attractively photographed,
and solidly informative book on the topic aimed just for them here.
Cat in the Hat Science Pack – I really like these Cat in the hat science books, which manage to open
up topics and teach a few good solid facts in a really fresh and
engaging way.
Mighty Machines Pack – Scholastic has some really nice simple, bright non-fiction for younger readers these last couple of years, and for a vehicle fan, this is a great little set.
Rhyme and Repetition Book & CD Collection – This is a nice little collection of books for a young kid, and supports letter knowledge and counting. The CDs are a great thing if you have a kid who might sit on his own and listen while he looks, or for car trips. I like this one, and while some packs with CDs are pricey enough to make you think twice, this is not bad at all.
Favourite Stories on DVD Set – I don’t often recommend DVDs, but these are seriously great picture
books brought to life in animation that is faithful to the original text
and images. They are originally from Weston Woods, who wins awards for
their work all the time, and come with great pedigree. Really great
stuff, but it is worth keeping in mind that the full set with something
like 30 DVDs will likely show up over the year at some point, so if you
really want to invest in these, it’s worth thinking about whether this
set is the one you want.
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site – I love a good bedtime book, and this one is perfect for the
construction-mad child in your life. It has a good rhythm for a
goodnight book, talks about lots of big machines, and most of all, has
wonderful illustrations that straddle the line between cartoonishly bold
and bedtimey soft.
Picture a Tree – Barbara Reid’s latest is a lovely tribute to trees filled with
delightful visual jokes and her incredibly detailed plasticene
illustrations. Marvelous!
SeeSaw
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs – I am loving this ridiculous, irreverent twist with all the hilarity one expects from Mo Willems. I’m going to review it any day now, but meanwhile, suffice it to say I am totally ordering it, and at $10 for a hardcover, it’s well worth it. My little guy already loves it.
Froggy Learns to Swim – I’m not a big fan of Froggy in general, but between totally understanding the difficulties involved in learning to swim and the fact that I sort of like his little swimming chant here, I will have to say it’s a good one.
Ladybug Girl at the Beach – I adore Ladybug Girl and her spunky, imaginative self. If you’re looking for a good book about summer fun and going to the beach (she is a bit intimidated at first), this is a winner.
Lilly & Friends Pack – I am, it must be said, a shameless Kevin Henkes fangirl, but even so, these three are great stories, and will certainly convert you to my bandwagon. They are cute, funny, and full of situations and worries that belong to the world of real kids, not to mention some wonderful, loving grownups which can be lacking in kidslit sometimes.
National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry – I love poetry for children, and this, with an animal theme and great accompanying pictures, is a good one for capturing a kids attention.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – on the off chance that you do not have this, it is a book that should probably be in
most young kids’ houses. It’s a really good alphabet book with a
strong, contagious rhythm, and shows lower-case letters, which is far
less common.
Magic Tree House Summer Reading Pack – I say it every month – this is one of the few series in this grade range
that I really like. It’s consistent, which young readers like, but it’s
also interesting, and a nice little introduction to different times and
places in history. It’s also a good bridge from non-fiction to fiction,
for kids who prefer some fact in their reading material. This series is a monthly offer in various
different packs, so if this set isn’t the one for you, you can always wait
for a different one, if you’re not planning on this as summer reading.
Zen Shorts Pack – these beautiful, poetic books are also philosophical, containing small stories and things to ponder that convey ideas of peace and love at a child’s level, though they are never obvious. I also must confess that I am always captivated by Jon Muth’s paintings, and find these so utterly gorgeous, they could be filled with shopping lists and I’d be okay.
How Cooking Works – I’ve
said it before – I am better off just kept out of the kitchen. But kids?
Kids should totally be in the kitchen learning to follow instructions
and measure things out, and this book has some good recipes you can make
together as well as being marketed as unisex, which I think rocks, as opposed to the usual girly cookbooks.
The Usborne Big Doodling Book – Doodle books are a hot thing lately, allowing kids to take an idea and run, a sort of halfway point between a colouring book and a blank page. I’ve reviewed some similar ones here, if you are curious about this idea. I will say, if you are going on any summer trips or need some activities to waste some time over the summer, this would be a pretty good pick.
Klutz Kits Make Your Own Paper Flowers – Every month, I tell you how much I like the Klutz kits for their simple
instructions and the fact that they contain everything you need. This
one is a great pick for a kid who loves pretties – I’m thinking I’m going
to pick up an extra or two for gifts, since birthday season is upon me.
Lucky
Canada Pack – Canadian Jokes? These are fun and funny, and since kids love jokes, and I love kid-level jokes, I’m in.
Cam Jansen and the Graduation Day Mystery – These are classic early chapter mysteries, featuring a girl with a
photographic memory (Cam is short for “camera”) who solves problems. The
mysteries are pitched right for grades 2-3 or so, the target audience
for these early chapter books.
Ramona Series Starter – I luuuurve Ramona stories. She was my very favourite character, and I
am far from alone in remembering this classic fondly. Ramona is spunky,
hilarious, and the earlier template for all those precocious little
girls that grade 2s and 3s love to read about. (Think Clementine more
than Junie B, though) Ramona does crop up every now and then, sometimes
in packs, so if you want more of her or just one title, it will likely
come around again in the fall.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid #7 – This series has been wildly popular with kids from about grade 2 up to
grade 6, even among the most reluctant of readers, who appreciate its
humour and its half-graphic format. It’s an easy read, and his school
troubles resonate with kids. The pack is on frequent offer, and here, the new
one is on offer alone.
Get Outside – Like any parent, I’m all for kids getting outside, and with the help of
some good ideas, it can be so much fun that it outweighs the bugbites
and sunburn, if you play your cards right! This should help those of you
who, like me, are not inspired to create organized fun by temperament
and need a little nudge.
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret UFOs – Remember these? Little, short mysteries that hinge on a fact that
Encyclopedia Brown (not his real name) knows, but someone else doesn’t.
You have the chance to guess the answer to each one before flipping to
the end of the book to read the solution. For a kid who loves a puzzle,
this is really fun.
Chester’s Masterpiece – Chester is not pleased with the direction his author is taking, and
tries to steer things his way in these very funny picture books that are
a
big hit with kids. This is just the one story, though, so if you want more, you could wait until the fall, when they are sure to reappear.
Ralph S. Mouse Trio – Ralph Mouse and his motorcycle are a great hit with readers of early
chapters. A classic trilogy by the author of the Ramona Quimby books,
these are stories of friendship and small-scale adventure that are also
wonderful for reading aloud.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs – if you are not yet familiar with the ridiculous magic that is Jon
Scieszka, start here. His fractured fairy tales are second to none, and
this might be the best of the lot.
The Complete Art Works Briefcase – Not a book, I know. But! If you’ve got an arty kid and a gifting occasion or a long summer ahead, it’s a good one to pick up here, with a bit of everything that allows them to try out different media and experiment without it costing a fortune.
Guinness World Records 2013 – These books have been
favourites for browsing for decades, and appeal to nearly every kid out
there. There is a new one every year, though you don’t need to replace
them annually, really. They are also offered fairly often, as they truly
are popular. They also make for great gift material!
Arrow
Brian’s Return – This is a followup to Gary Paulsen’s award-winning Hatchet, and just as filled with details of Brian’s ordeal and how he survives. These are good for a kid who loves wilderness and adventures stories.
This Can’t Be Happening at McDonald Hall! – Gordon Korman is a standard suggestion for kids looking for a funny but
well-written novel, most of which are set in or around school. This is one of his original series of Bruno & Boots books, written a good 30 years ago, but still great fun.
Dive Trilogy – Korman has a few trilogies, all with an
adventure/disaster/survival theme that gives them great boy appeal
(think Everest, Kidnapped, and ones about being trapped on a deserted
island and one about the sinking of the Titanic). These are well done and a good, compelling read that can pull along even a reluctant reader with the plot.
Guinness World Records 2013 – These books have been
favourites for browsing for decades, and appeal to nearly every kid out
there. There is a new one every year, though you don’t need to replace
them annually, really. They are also offered fairly often, as they truly
are popular. They also make for great gift material!
The Incredible Journey – this is one of those epic journeys that make for serious classic
literature, as this is. As in, my mom read it as a kid, even! But the
story of pets trying to make their way home will still hook the right
kid.
Klutz Kits Scoubidou – Every month, I tell you how much I like the Klutz kits for their simple
instructions and the fact that they contain everything you need. This
one is a great pick for a kid who loves making jewelry – I’m thinking I’m going
to pick up an extra or two for gifts, since birthday season is upon me.
The Calvin & Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book – these are funny – you might remember them from a good 20-25 years ago?
They still appeal. Readers and reluctant readers alike enjoy cartoons, so if your kid won’t
gravitate to a full-on novel just yet, these might grab his/her
attention in the meantime, not to mention that you can share some good
belly laughs reading them together!
Summer Savings Pack – I’m not always sold on packs, especially if I haven’t read every book, but I’ve read the majority of these and they are fun ones, so even if the fifth is funny for a kid btu not stellar literature… it’s a good summer read, right? Let’s put it this way – Cheaper By the Dozen is a classic, Frindle is excellent, and A Long Way From Chicago is part of an award-winning trilogy. Good stuff.
Who Could That Be At This Hour? – This is one of those few cases where I’m recommending something I haven’t gotten to reading yet (soon, soon!), but the reviews are good, and by all accounts, Lemony Snicket’s quirky, quick-witted, and silly style is firmly intact in this new series, a mystery series this time, that is said to be planned for a mere four books.
Heroes of Olympus #3 – This is the next series in the same world as Percy Jackson, but with
different characters and quests. I am eager to read these, because the
world of Greek mythology is so rich, I don’t feel that Rick Riordan is
likely to have run out of material.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians Collection – These. Are. Awesome. Kids have loved them, they read like you’re
watching it happen, and they may just spark an interest in Greek
mythology. I highly recommend these if your kid hasn’t read them yet.
Klutz Kits Cat’s Cradle – I love Klutz Kits for their simple instructions and good results, and Cat’s Cradle, with its classic string games, is a nice pick for kids.
Scary Stories Pack – these books of ghost stories have been favourites for a generation at
least, and are classic, go-to books for campfire and Hallowe’en fare. If
you have a kid who likes to get the shivers, these are a sure bet.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – This series has been wildly popular with kids from about grade 2 up to
grade 6, even among the most reluctant of readers, who appreciate its
humour and its half-graphic format. It’s an easy read, and his school
troubles resonate with kids. The pack and the new one are on offer here.
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I love these monthly lists! Really helps when I go and place my order! Thanks!!!