October flew by, didn’t it? I only believe I’m looking at November flyers today because it’s dark early and getting COLD out there. And you know what that means – the holiday selections have started already. Sorry ’bout that, folks, I don’t make the flyers, I just pick from them! 
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Llama Llama Holiday Drama – These Llama Llama books are, to be honest, not the favourites of parents, but young kids love them, because they really capture the way a toddler works, that is to say, Llama throws a fit when he is overwhelmed with emotion, and then reassured by his mama. This title is about the difficulty of waiting for something as exciting as Christmas.
***Red is Best – This is quite simply one of the best picture books going. Stinson clearly understands how kids think, and this little girls’ insistence on red everything rings perfectly true.
Curious George Classics Pack – These are the original Curious George titles, not the ones based on the TV show. As such, they are longer, to be sure, but also much, much better written.
Jan Brett Winter Pack – Jan Brett is a favourite of kids and teachers alike, and this pack includes one classic folk tale (The Mitten) and one silly animal story (The Hat). The included CDs let kids listen to the tales as they “read” along with the book.
Klutz Chicken Socks Fuzzy Monkeys – I love the Klutz kits and their simpler versions for little kids like this. These make great gifts at a somewhat lower price, especially if you paired them with a monkey book. Curious George, perhaps?
Bear and Friends Pack – I love the bear stories, which are set in a great rhythm and rhyme, and feature really, really good friends. These do show up in various different packs on and off through the year, so if you want more of them, hold off.
***The Very Hungry Caterpillar – This is a solid classic in a sturdy board book format perfect for the younger end of this age range. If this isn’t on your bookshelf, grab it now.
A Busy Year – I’m a big fan of Lio Lionni, even if his work seems a bit retro sometimes. He tells a lovely story, and his little mice are cute as buttons – here, kids are also learning about the year, but when he adds teaching into stories, it’s never with a heavy hand.
No, David! Pack – The full run of David books, all in one pack. Kids love these for their humour, and for the fact that even after all the trouble he gets into, David is always reassured at the end that things will be okay.
Little Critter’s Big Kid Pack – I’m a big fan of the rambunctious little critter, who is well-meaning, but klutzy and impulsive, just like most little kids. These are also fun for kids, who recognize themselves, and I remember loving them when i was little, too.
Porcupine in a Pine Tree – This very Canadian rewrite of the Twelve Days of Christmas is a lot of fun, and even works well with the song (I hate it when they force it too much!). This is a less expensive version, but for those who would want it, I will tell you this book is also available with a plush porcupine as a gift set from bookstores.
SeeSaw
Jan Brett Winter Favourites Pack – this pack is heavy on the Christmas themed books, as well as the folk tale favourite, The Mitten. She does do a lovely version of The Twelve Days, as well as The Night Before Christmas, so if you celebrate Christmas and don’t own these classics yet, it’s a nice pack.
The Gingerbread Man – This is a nice classic version of this fairy tale standard, with quaint-ish illustrations. It’s not my very favourite, which is illustrated by Richard Egielski, but it’s quite nice and well-told, and good for someone who likes a prettily-presented telling.
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly – There are lots of versions of this out there, but this one, with die-cut
holes and Simms Taback illustrations, is one of the best. I love having
song books to sing along with, and I recommend this one if you do as
well.
Biggest, Strongest, Fastest – I love Steve Jenkins’ gorgeous paper collage illustrations of animals. He has several books, and this book of animal record-holders is a nice start for introducing kids to the amazing things that animals can do.
Over and Under the Snow – I really liked this book when I reviewed it last winter. A child and her father walk through the woods and learn about how animals spend the winter. The illustrations are lovely and muted, too.
Over the Rainbow Pack – I’m a big Wizard of Oz fan, so I’m thrilled to have a nice picture book version of this favourite song. The illustrations are in the same style as those in perennial offering Puff The Magic Dragon, which is to say fairly stylized, and the book includes a CD for non-singers or bedtime listening.
***Frog and Toad Pack – Frog and Toad is some of the best beginning chapter reading going, with cute, funny little stories about two very different friends who somehow love each other dearly anyhow. This set gives you all four books at once, and I haven’t met a kid yet who doesn’t love these. Bonus: they are so fun, they aren’t even boring reads for you, either!
***A Bad Case of Stripes – When Camilla wakes up striped, no one knows what to make of it, and as she keeps changing, it only gets worse until a little old lady appears with some very sensible magic. This is a terrific book with a lesson of being who you are, written and illustrated by the phenomenal David Shannon, who really does the best faces.
It’s Not Fair! – Sometimes, things don’t feel fair, and kids are quick to tell you all about it. Rosenthal is really good at writing about emotions and life lessons kids need to know about, and Lichtenfeld’s fun, comic style keep things light.
Chicken Socks Dress Up Your Own Paper Pups – I love the Klutz kits and their simpler versions for little kids like
this. These make great gifts at a somewhat lower price, especially for a dog lover. My daughter got these when she was younger and loved them.
Sheila Rae, the Brave Pack – I am a major, major Kevin Henkes fan, and Sheila Rae is a great little story about proving yourself and becoming who you are. This pack comes with a CD to read along with or just listen to, great for car trips, bedtime listening, or occupying kids for a few crucial minutes.
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A Porcupine in a Pine Tree – This very Canadian rewrite of the Twelve Days of Christmas is a lot of
fun, and even works well with the song (I hate it when they force it too
much!). This is a less expensive version, but for those who would want
it, I will tell you this book is also available with a plush porcupine
as a gift set from bookstores.
Mythbusters: Confirm or Bust! – Science experiments are a great way for kids to learn through
activities, and no one better to walk them through it than the
Mythbusters, TV’s squad of specialists at exploring urban myths by
experiments. This is my daughter’s favourite show, and their sense of
fun combined with curiosity is a great inspiration for anyone with
questions.
Captain Underpants And the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkle Trousers – Yes. I know. he’s rude and crude and obnoxious. He’s also really pretty funny at times, and often? The kids who won’t read anything else will be all over these, so I have to say, this half-graphic series gets my vote for reluctant readers, especially boys, who usually are the ones who love the gross bits.
National Geographic Kids Everything Ancient Egypt – who isn’t fascinated by Ancient Egypt? For the kid who prefers non-fiction, this is great stuff: mummies, pyramids, sphinxes, and treasure. What’s not to love?! And for parents, coming from National Geographic means quality information and photographs are assured.
Nate the Great and the Phony Clue – I love Nate the Great. These are on the younger / weaker reader end of this flyer’s spectrum, but if that’s your kid, these quirky little beginning chapter mysteries filled with offbeat characters are really fun.
***The Trouble With Chickens – I read this with my daughter a year and a half ago for this review of it, and she declared it at the time “the best book EVER.” It is a fun and accessible spin on noir for kids – populated almost entirely with animals. It’s funny, not trying so hard to be clever that it shoots over the heads of its audience, and is a really great read aloud.
Wayside School Chapter books – The Wayside stories books are each a collection of totally silly stories
set in a school where the ridiculous is the norm. They are funny,
short, and easy to read, making them favourites among younger kids and
kids who are not strong readers or like lighter fare.
***Ramona Pack – Ramona is, quite simply, the first and funniest of the spunky little girl set for early chapter readers. I love that she is naughty, but never mean, and that she has hardly dated at all, for all that these books are old enough to fall into the realm of real classics. LOVE these.
Animal Fantasy Pack – Ever wonder why there are so many mouse stories for kids? These are three of the best chapter books about mousey adventures, and makes a great pack for reading aloud together. My one caveat would be that if you are going to want all 3 Ralph S Mouse books, you might wait for them to come around some month, instead.
Jon Sciesczka Pack – these are two of Jon Sciesczka’s fractured fairy tales, which are hits with kids of all stripes for their crazy humour and silliness. If you’ve got a goofball in your house, this will definitely work for them.
Chester Pack – 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. Chester is likely to appear again, though he is not a constant, so if don’t necessarily want them all, you could wait it out.
Repeaters:
Magic Tree House: A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time – I’m not always a fan of big series for kids, although they very
definitely serve a purpose. They are by nature formulaic, and often not
well-written. These definitely follow a formula, but the writing is
better than it has to be, and the various times and places visited give
kids a nice little taste of history and different cultures, which I
like.This new series of Merlin Missions feature different cultural highlights, and this one is perfect for Christmastime reading.
Guinness Book of World Records – These books are great fun for browsing, and favourites among even the
most reluctant readers, who can find bizarre and fascinating records to
pore over and share with friends. This would make a great gift or a nice
way to hook a kid who doesn’t gravitate toward books naturally.
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 is on frequent offer, and the new
one is also on offer alone here.
Arrow
When You Reach Me – This quirky Newbery winner is an unusual read that all ties together at the end in a way you might not see coming. It’s for a thoughtful reader who is willing to go along for the ride and just see where it ends up – and it does have a very interesting conclusion!
The Secret Garden – This classic probably needs no introduction, but for those who don’t know, it’s about the transformation of Mary, a young orphan who has just come to stay with her uncle, as she encounters a cast of characters who teach her a lot of about resilience.
Hatchet –
***The Mixed-Up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – If you were going to run away in New York as a child, where would you stay? How about somewhere that would keep your imagination busy, like The Met? This is exactly what happens here – and the result is classic, medal-winning goodness that I just can’t recommend highly enough. It’s not for nothing that E. L. Konigsburg has won two Newbery medals!
The Fire Ascending / Icefire Pack – this series about a dragon is a hefty read, but enjoyed by
fans of the equally weighty Eragon saga. These get requested a lot, and
it’s rare to find more than one on the shelf, despite being impressively
large tomes.
***Newbery Fantasy Pack – this trio of wonderful tales of fantasy is a great pack for a kid who likes to let their imagination soar. Ella Enchanted is a retelling of Cinderella with a twist, The Fledgling is about a child who can fly, and The Tale of Desperaux is an enchanting tale of a fairy tale-loving mouse who sets out to save a princess. This may skew a little to the girls, but is rich and delightful stuff.
Repeaters:
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 is on frequent offer, and the new
one is also on offer alone here.
Big Nate Makes the Grade – This series is the natural successor to the Wimpy Kids books, having a
similar half-graphic format, school setting, and kid who gets into
scrapes. They are, perhaps, a little brattier, but the same kids who
love Wimpy Kid are eating these up, so if it’s all your kid wants to
read, it may be worth picking up this month or pretty much any other
month.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians – I love this series. The writing moves quickly, the quests are studded
with many mythological monsters, and the overarching storyline is the
stuff of archetype. I highly recommend this series, which grabs readers
and carries along so masterfully that even a lot of reluctant boys at
work have chewed through them.
The Kane Chronicles – Rick Riordan, of Percy Jackson fame, has started a series related to
Egypt this time, and predictably, it’s been a hit. Fans of his are sure
to be asking for these, and yes, they will show up again.
The Heroes of Olympus – 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.
The Hunger Games Trilogy – I expect these to show up a lot
this year, after the massive popularity of the movie last spring. The
books had been huge with teens before that – and to be honest, that is
who I think should be reading them. If you have a very sophisticated
reader, it might be something that you could read together and talk
about, but otherwise, I believe that these are worth waiting for when
kids are old enough to appreciate them.